AccScience Publishing / ITPS / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/ITPS025480056
MINI-REVIEW

The relationship between beta-alanine and overall health: A mini review

Onur Oral1* Iyanuloluwa Ojo2 Naima Badid3 George N. Nomıkos4
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1 Department of Health Sciences and Sports, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
2 Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, England, United Kingdom
3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Nature and Life and Sciences of The Earth and The Universe, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria
4 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chios Hospital, Chios, North Aegean, Greece
INNOSC Theranostics and Pharmacological Sciences, 025480056 https://doi.org/10.36922/ITPS025480056
Received: 27 November 2025 | Revised: 19 January 2026 | Accepted: 6 February 2026 | Published online: 6 March 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Beta-alanine, a non-essential amino acid and the rate-limiting precursor for the synthesis of muscle carnosine, plays a pivotal physiological role in regulating intramuscular acid–base balance, particularly during high-intensity exercise. Its primary mechanism involves buffering hydrogen ions to delay the onset of metabolic acidosis and subsequent muscle fatigue. This mini review aims to synthesize the current scientific literature to elucidate the bioactivity of beta-alanine and critically evaluate its ergogenic and potential therapeutic effects on overall health and wellbeing. Substantial evidence from clinical trials demonstrates that beta-alanine supplementation effectively augments intramuscular carnosine concentrations, leading to marked improvements in anaerobic exercise capacity and fatigue resistance. These benefits extend beyond athletic populations to clinical cohorts experiencing age-related muscle deterioration. Furthermore, emerging research suggests indirect cardiovascular and cognitive benefits, potentially mediated through enhanced exercise tolerance, reduced systemic oxidative stress, and anti-inflammatory activity. Notably, beta-alanine may help preserve endothelial function and reduce cardiometabolic risk factors. Preliminary findings also suggest that carnosine confers neuroprotective properties through its antioxidant and antiglycation activities, although direct evidence for cognitive enhancement in humans remains limited and warrants further investigation. Significant research gaps persist, including a lack of standardized dosing protocols, limited long-term safety data, and insufficient exploration of its effects in older adults and other patient populations. This review underscores the necessity for rigorous, long-term, and standardized clinical trials involving diverse cohorts to fully delineate the therapeutic potential of beta-alanine as a versatile nutraceutical agent for enhancing physical, metabolic, and cognitive health.

Keywords
Beta-alanine
Carnosine
Muscle performance
Oxidative stress
Cardiovascular health
Cognitive function
Metabolic regulation
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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INNOSC Theranostics and Pharmacological Sciences, Electronic ISSN: 2705-0823 Print ISSN: 2705-0734, Published by AccScience Publishing