Beta-Alanine Beat Placebo, 57% to 19%, in Keeping Climbers on the Wall
The four-week trial tracked longer one to two minute traverses, with an extra 21 seconds beyond placebo.
The Tim Ferriss Show · #886: The Random Show — AI Super Assistants, Boner Pills, Dream Engineering, Wizards, Supplements, Books, and MoreFour grams of beta-alanine a day for four weeks helped elite climbers stay on longer traverses 57 percent longer before falling, compared with 19 percent for placebo.
The result comes from a randomized, double-blind trial of 15 elite climbers, with half taking the supplement and half taking placebo. The beta-alanine group gained an additional 21 seconds beyond placebo, a difference described as large and highly statistically significant.
The benefit took a few weeks to appear. One climber's observation was that beta-alanine does not really help very short efforts like five to 10 move bouldering without ropes.
Questions people ask
What is beta-alanine?
Beta-alanine is an amino acid sold as a sports supplement, often in powders and large tablets. Inside muscle it helps build carnosine, which helps buffer the acidity that accumulates during hard, sustained effort.
Does beta-alanine have side effects?
Many users feel a harmless tingling or prickling of the skin, called paresthesia, shortly after a dose. Splitting doses through the day or using a sustained-release formula is commonly used to make it milder.
What is a traverse in climbing?
Climbers move sideways across the wall during a traverse rather than straight up. A longer traverse lasting one to two minutes keeps the forearms under continuous tension, which tests endurance.