Need some help getting serious during your gym hours? Beta alanine is a non-essential amino acid used as a supplement to give you just the pre-workout rush you need to break a sweat at the gym.
Beta alanine before workouts can give you an extra boost, along with enabling you to exercise longer. However, it isn’t easy to find a supplement that is safe for you, tastes good, and delivers the promised results.
Below we’ve reviewed some of the best pre-workouts with beta alanine to narrow down your choices into a list of safe and reliable products.
Best Beta Alanine Pre-Workout Powders
1. Vintage Blast Pre Workout Supplement With Beta-Alanine
The Vintage Blast Pre-Workout formula by Old School Labs is marketed as a ‘two-stage’ supplement for enhancing athletic performance. With each serving having 250 mg caffeine, 100 mg of which is micro-encapsulated, it is supposed to deliver an initial energy boost, as well as later on during your workout as the ‘second stage’.
Aside from having 1 g beta alanine per serving, this non-GMO formula also contains a nitric oxide booster and vitamin C. It’s free from sugars, carbs, and artificial ingredients, having Stevia leaf extract as a sweetener. However, the blueberry lemonade flavor may be too sour for many people and may cause acid reflux in some.
While this pre-workout may be on the expensive side, a majority of people swear by its effectiveness in boosting energy levels for a good training session. Moreover, it also doesn’t seem to cause crashing later on in the majority of users.
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2. BSN No-Xplode Beta Alanine And Creatine Pre Workout Powder Review
The BSN No-Xplode is likely high on the list of pre-workouts with most caffeine, having 275 mg per scoop. Available in seven fruity flavors and four sizes. This supplement can be taken about 20 to 30 minutes before your workout to enhance performance, mental focus, and explosiveness. If you’re looking for a pre-workout with most beta-alanine, this could also be the answer since there’s a strong pre-workout tingle after taking it, as a side effect of the amino acid.
You’re supposed to stir and mix the No-Xplode powder instead of shaking it in its bottle. Also present are phosphates, salts, and a host of other ingredients that help you perform better. The magnesium content may act as a laxative, so be prepared for frequent bathroom breaks soon after use!
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3. C4 Original Pump Pre Workout Powder Without Sugar Review
One of the most intense pre-workouts is the C4 Original powder, having a 150 mg caffeine content along with 1.6g beta-alanine. This one is also available in a range of tasty flavors and different sizes.
While it may not be the highest beta alanine pre-workout (C4 Extreme powders have 2g per serving), it has enough to make you experience that tingle, which gets you pumped and moving fast. The taste has received mixed reviews, with the watermelon flavor being the most popular, comparable to a jolly rancher. You’ll need to be careful about keeping it airtight and away from moisture – it tends to clump into a hard mass otherwise.
With a high vitamin C content and zero calories per serving, this could be just the energizer for your next fat-blasting, muscle-building session.
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4. ON Gold Standard Pre-Workout With Beta Alanine
If you’re a beginner, this pre-workout by Optimum Nutrition could be a great beta-alanine stimulant, containing 1.5g of the amino acid along with creatine, L-carnitine, and caffeine for energy. Many reviews suggest that it may not be as energizing as competitor products, except if you’re new to taking such supplements.
The best time to take beta alanine in the form of the ON Gold Standard powder is about 15 to 30 minutes before your workout. Overall, it mixes well in water; the eight fruity flavors taste decent and is good value for the money.
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Benefits of Pre-Workouts with Beta Alanine
Recent data suggest that multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements are safe for healthy individuals who aren't taking any medications or have some form of a medical condition. A growing interest in beta alanine is due to its potential benefits being uncovered as more research is being done in sports nutrition. The following are some benefits of beta alanine supported by science:
1. Decreased Muscle Fatigue
The beta-alanine in your body is used to form a substance called carnosine. This intracellular pH buffer works to reduce the fatigue effect of lactic acid produced in your muscles when they are overworked. This enables you to work out for longer.
2. Anti-aging Properties
According to Healthline, beta-alanine has antioxidant properties, causing an anti-aging effect when consumed.
3. Energizing Effect
Research shows that a daily dose of 4 to 6 grams of beta alanine taken for at least two to four weeks could improve exercise performance.
Instead of focusing on what pre-workout has the most beta alanine, you should consider the entire mix of ingredients and make a choice that’ll be safe and effective overall. You may get a pre-workout with a lot of beta alanine, but if it contains potentially harmful products or even tastes terrible, it won’t be right for you.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about the best beta alanine supplements, you’ll be able to make smart choices for your pre-workout boost. Enjoy the tingle and rush that comes with all the beta-alanine energy, making you work harder than ever.