Beta-alanine is a dietary supplement, an amino acid the body does not use to build proteins, taken to raise stores of carnosine — a molecule in muscle and brain that soaks up acid and neutralizes damaging by-products of normal metabolism. The best-supported gain is a modest extension of how long hard, brief effort can be sustained. Across more than a hundred human studies, temporary skin tingling was the only side effect. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) | 10–26 U/L | Detects the small supplement-associated enzyme rise |
| Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) | 10–26 U/L | Distinguishes a liver signal from a muscle signal |
| Fasting glucose | 75–86 mg/dL | Tracks the theoretical additive effect with glucose-lowering drugs |
| Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) | 4.8–5.2% | The claimed metabolic benefit, if it exists, shows here |
| Fasting insulin | 2–5 µIU/mL | Insulin resistance was the outcome that moved most in pooled data |
| Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with creatinine | >90 mL/min/1.73 m² | Screens the kidney threshold below which use is untested |
| High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) | <0.5 mg/L | Baseline for the anti-glycation and anti-inflammatory rationale |
| Muscle carnosine content | No established clinical target; track percent change from own baseline | The direct measure of whether loading occurred |
Cadence: Baseline before a loading course; liver enzymes and glucose markers repeated at 12 weeks, then every 6 to 12 months on maintenance dosing. Where glucose-lowering medication is in use, glucose is reviewed at 4 and 12 weeks.