Beta Alanine

I have never taken many supplements, but I experimented a bit with creatine and beta alanine last year. I didn’t feel much of a difference, but at around that time, my weight increased to 165 lbs (at 5’5”). That could be due to many factors, such as squatting daily, plus doing multiple sets of 20 twice a week, forcing myself to eat even more, and drinking more milk in order to bulk up a bit.

I take pre-workout and beta-alanine pre-workout, I take BCAAS during workout.

As far as what I recommend to athletes now from a coaching perspective: Creatine, Vitamin D, Fish Oil, Beta Alanine, and Magnesium. Outside of that a lot of supplements are pretty worthless, and you can get most of your protein and carbs from diet alone.

Usually I consume a Legion pre workout beverage and Performix pre workout. Both are simple in ingredient profiles such as citrulline, caffeine, beta-alanine, and creatine. I’ve learned those high stimulant based pre workouts just crash the body and had more negative impacts to my lifting than beneficial.

I don’t have any partner in my training, but if I would, I believe it would be nice but not necessary. I don’t have any pre-workout/intra workout shakes. Only after the workout, I consume a post-workout shake that includes: Whey Protein + Creatine, Glutamine, Beta-Alanine.

I also use creatine, protein, and BCAA from Bowmar Nutrition when I need it. I utilize beta alanine and pre workout too. To add, I use BIOHM for my Probiotic, while everything else I normally get from Nutrishop.

I use Blonyx chocolate egg white protein powder, Blonyx HMB+Creatine, Blonyx Beta-Alanine, and Ancient Nutrition Multi-Collagen powder. Pro-tip: Using discount code “thefittestdoc” will get you a discount code on either of them.

I get my whey protein from Legion Athletics, and I take the Ouroboros multi and pre-workout, which contains caffeine, creatine monohydrate, beta-alanine, and citrulline malate.

Daily supplementation looks something like this: I take a B complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, COQ-10, and L-carnitine. I make my own pre-workout drink that includes amino acids, beta alanine, creatine, and glutamine.

Besides vitamins and minerals, for performance I supplement daily with Caffeine, Carnosyn beta-alanine, DHEA, and Creatine Monohydrate (all of which can be found on Amazon, but I recommend consulting with a professional before investment).

About 30 minutes before I train, I also take my pre workout, which is far from fancy but VERY effective. I take 1/4 tsp sea salt in about eight ounces of water. I also add 1/2 scoop of Genius Pre Workout Powder, 1 tsp Beta Alanine, and 1 scoop of NutraKey Hydro Pump, unflavored.

The pre-workout will vary but I always make sure it is clinically dosed with ingredients that have been proven effective in the research such as beta alanine, citrulline malate and caffeine.

The only supplements I take all the time are creatine monohydrate, caffeine, vitamin D3 and vitamin B12. I will take Myprotein beta alanine on and off around training. I usually just go to Myprotein and pick up the raw ingredients and blend on my own for pre workouts.

Beta alanine is an intracellular lactate buffer. In other words, it acts within the muscle cell to deal with lactic acid. It seems to help with hard bouts of effort – like a 500m row or the CrossFit workout “Fran.”

Pre-Workout: 4g citrulline malate, 3.2g beta-alanine, 200-300mg caffeine, active form of B-vitamins Intra-Workout: 30g Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin, 10g BCAA Post-Workout: Two scoops plant or beef protein, 5g creatine monohydrate, 5g glutamine, 2g taurine, 20g EAAFor the majority of my single ingredient supplements like Creatine, HBCD, BCAA, etc., I use www.TrueNutrition.com, EAAs from Bulk Supplements, Magnesium Glycinate from Solaray, and Plant Protein from Nutrex.

Since I began to workout, I get 80% of my protein from protein powder. Today, I also use weight gainer, creatine, beta alanine, zinc, B12 and vitamins – which are scientifically well backed supplements.

By supplementation side I have used: Creatine, vitamins and protein powders most of my training life. Adding past few years to the list: Omega-3, boron, ashwaganda, glucosamine, beta-alanine, zinc, magnesium and green-tea-extract and that’s all the supplements. Though moved on only getting my protein from food and no more powders, cause the Science doesn’t support the need for it.

All my supplements: EEA, ALA, Beta-Alanine, creatine and protein shakes are from MyProtein and if you use my discount code, LARSBVEN, at the Danish website MyProtein.dk you get a minimum of 20% discount.

Before hitting the gym, I’ll be sure to get in a meal or 2, then take some pre-workout or make my own (creatine, citrulline, beta-alanine, BCAAs, and my favorite…Agmatine Sulfate). Or take a product that has all of them.

I’ll regularly take citruline malate and beta alanine pre-workout. If I have it on hand, I’ll take creatine as well.