ID 1452 - Beta-alanina

PL: Beta-alanina
EN: Beta alanine
Pdf: beta-alanine

Oświadczenie (2)

1. Charakterystyka żywności / składnika

The food constituent that is the subject of the health claims is beta-alanine, which is a naturally occurring dispensable amino acid in which the amino group is at the β-position from the carboxyl group. Beta-alanine is synthesised in vivo by the degradation of dihydrouracil and carnosine. It is a component of the naturally occurring peptides carnosine and anserine and also of pantothenic acid. Beta-alanine is the rate-limiting precursor of carnosine. Beta-alanine can be provided in solution or as powder in gelatine capsules, and can be measured in food by established methods.
The Panel considers that the food constituent, beta-alanine, which is the subject of the health claims, is sufficiently characterised.

2.2. Wzrost czasu do wyczerpania (ID 437, 438, 439, 683, 1452, 1455, 1456, 1459)

The claimed effects are “increasing time to exhaustion”, “increasing training volume and work”, “physical performance”, “beta-alanine reduces muscle fatigue”, “increasing exercise thresholds”, “beta-alanine increases muscle buffering capacity” and “beta-alanine improves muscle work capacity”. The Panel assumes that the target population is active individuals in the general population.
In the context of the proposed wordings, the Panel assumes that the claimed effect refers to the increase in time to exhaustion by improving muscle resistance to fatigue through an increase in muscle buffering capacity.
The Panel considers that an increase in time to exhaustion is a beneficial physiological effect.

3.2. Wzrost czasu do wyczerpania (ID 437, 438, 439, 683, 1452, 1455, 1456, 1459)

Most of the references provided for the scientific substantiation of this claim did not address the effects of beta-alanine consumption on measures of time to exhaustion but rather on other outcomes (e.g. carnosine stores). In addition, two abstracts were submitted in which the information provided regarding the study design, methodology and statistical analyses was insufficient for a complete scientific evaluation (Hill et al., 2005; Kim et al., 2007). The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from these references for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect.
Three randomised, placebo controlled, double blind intervention studies in humans assessing the effects of beta-alanine on different outcomes in relation to the practice of short duration, high- intensity exercise have been provided (Stout et al., 2006, 2007; Hill et al., 2007).
Stout et al. (2006) investigated the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold in young men in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo- controlled study. Subjects were randomised to consume 2 to 4 times daily either 34 g of dextrose (placebo, n=13) or 34 g dextrose plus 1.6 g beta-alanine (beta-alanine group, n=12) for 28 days. Before and after the supplementation period, a continuous incremental bike test was performed while a surface electromyographic signal was recorded from the vastus lateralis muscle to determine physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold, which was determined by a test which uses the relationship between electromyographic amplitude and fatigue during submaximal cycling to identify the highest power output that corresponds to the onset of neuromuscular fatigue. The Panel notes that physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold only provides information about the intensity/workload achieved at the fatigue threshold, but does not provide information about the time to exhaustion. A more recent publication in relation to the same study (not provided in the consolidated list) reports that no group effect was observed in time to exhaustion in the biking test after beta-alanine supplementation compared to placebo (Zoeller et al., 2007).
In a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled intervention study, Stout et al. (2007) investigated the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on physical working capacity at fatigue threshold, ventilatory threshold, VO2max and time to exhaustion. A total of 22 young women were randomly assigned to consume either beta-alanine (3.2 to 6.4 g per day, n=11) or maltodextrin (placebo, n=11) for 28 days. Exercise tests consisted of a continuous graded biking test, starting at 40
Watt and increased by 20 Watt every 3 minutes until exhaustion ( 1100 seconds). No significant differences between groups were observed in time to exhaustion.
In a randomised, placebo controlled, double-blinded intervention study, Hill et al. (2007) investigated the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on total work executed during a biking test. Beta-alanine was administered each day in eight divided doses for four weeks (n=5) or 10 weeks (n=8), with the total daily dose increasing during the first four weeks from 4.0 to 6.4 g per day. Twelve subjects received maltodextrin as placebo. Beta-alanine supplementation resulted in a significant increase in total work done during the biking test at high intensity (110 % of maximum power) compared to placebo, which is directly proportional to time to exhaustion for exercises performed at fixed intensity. The Panel notes the small number of subjects recruited in this study.
In weighing the evidence, the Panel took into account that two of the three small intervention studies in humans showed no effect of beta-alanine supplementation on the time to exhaustion compared to placebo, and that the evidence provided is limited and inconsistent.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of beta-alanine and an increase in time to exhaustion.

Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia

1.6-5.2 g beta alanine per day