The effects of short term β-alanine supplementation on blood lactate concentration of young male athletes

Dietary Supplements consumption among young athlete widely prevails regardless of well documented scientific proof of their effectiveness in improving exercise performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of seven days β-alanine (BA) different doses supplementation on blood lactate concentration after maximal exercise. Twenty four male students selected from volunteers and randomly divided into three groups of BA supplementation (1: 3.2 gr/d; 2: 4.8 gr/d; and 3: 6.4 gr/d). Participants performed two Wingate test: before and after seven days supplementation (pre- and post-test). Blood samples (6cc) were taken before and after 6min of each Wingate test from median vein for blood lactate measurement. All three groups ingested BA supplement for seven days and stop it 48 hours before post-test. Significant change of blood lactate levels were assessed between and within three groups with one way analysis of variance (one way- ANOVA), and paired t-test (p≤0.05). Results showed non-significant changes in blood lactate levels after seven days of different doses BA supplementation (p>0.05). Based on our finding, it seems that short term BA supplementation did not affect blood lactate accumulation following short term maximal exercise test. Further scientific research with higher BA supplementation and longer lasting exercise with different intensity needed for clarification the effects of BA on blood lactate levels.