The Claim

Four weeks of beta-alanine supplementation at 65 mg/kg/day in highly trained cyclists significantly increases average power per repetition during 30 maximal isokinetic knee extensions at 180°/sec by 6.8 ± 9.9 W compared to placebo and reduces fatigue index with 95% likelihood, indicating enhanced muscle endurance capacity during repeated high-intensity contractions.

Source: The effect of beta-alanine supplementation on isokinetic force and cycling performance in highly trained cyclists.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
60score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Quantitative
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In highly trained cyclists, taking beta-alanine for four weeks at 65 mg per kilogram of body weight per day increases the average power output during 30 maximal knee extensions by 6.8 watts and reduces the fatigue index with 95% likelihood compared to a placebo.

See the scientific wording

Four weeks of beta-alanine supplementation at 65 mg/kg/day in highly trained cyclists (n=8) significantly increases average power per repetition during 30 maximal isokinetic knee extensions at 180°/sec by 6.8 ± 9.9 W compared to placebo, while reducing fatigue index by 95% likelihood, suggesting enhanced muscle endurance capacity during repeated high-intensity contractions.

Why this might work

Beta-alanine builds up a substance in muscles that soaks up acid produced during hard exercise. This keeps the muscle environment from getting too acidic, which lets the muscle fibers keep contracting strongly for longer without getting tired.

Supported mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: The effect of beta-alanine supplementation on isokinetic force and cycling performance in highly trained cyclists.

    Taking beta-alanine for four weeks helped cyclists produce more power with each knee bend during repeated max efforts and made them less tired — exactly what the claim says. It didn’t make them faster on the bike, but that wasn’t the point.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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