[Diomedes]

I was unaware of Beta-Alanine.....thanks for the info KK and others.

[TX911]

i'm not trying a to pimp a product but you guys who believe in the BA should really try Purple Wraath from controlled labs. i like the shit out of it.

[King Kabuki]

How do you measure yourself well enough to know if X is working since there are so many factors? I don't lift weights at this time but if I did I'd assume that would be the easiest way to measure results and progress.

My creatine is "100% pure Creapure(R) Creatine Monohydrate" by ISS. This is making me wonder if what I have on my supp shelf are quality products. My last shopping venture was during a time where I wasn't hitting Sherdog often so I forgot about the recommended brands in the stickies when I got them all and now I have some questionables in the mix.

Creatine Monohydrate continues to get results in clinical trials and is the most studied form of creatine to-date. Just be sure you take it with carbs.

What makes you sure that continuous dosing isn't needed throughout the day? I noticed that one of the studies above used 8 oral doses a day.

Studies show as little as 3.2g of BA yielding positive results, and 4-5g being as productive as taking above 6g. I've not seen any mandate that it should be taken throughout the day, I mean that IS one way to take it, but not seen it as being more optimal.

For some more in-depth information about BA:

BA works by converting to carnosine in the body as stated earlier. The carnosine then acts as a buffer for hydrogen molecules that are released during exercise, which cause performance to plummet. Carnosine soaks up these H+ ions, which yields the following results.

Gains in:

- Lean muscle mass.
- Total work done.
- Power output.
- Time to exhaustion.
- Aerobic endurance.

Delays of:

- Onset of fatigue.
- Ventilary threshold.
- Lactate threshold.

So the smart person asks, can't I just take carnosine? No, and the reason why is the digestive tract. Carnosine gets broken down easily, and if any escapes into the bloodstream carnosinase (the enzyme) eats it up. Not only that but only about 40% of carnosine taken orally actually has BA, and is less cost-efficient for proper dosing.

On a sidenote, the man responsible for BA coming up is Dr. Roger Harris. Some of you may recognize him from the ground-breaking Creatine study in '92.

Oh and lastly if anyone notices a prickling feeling when taking BA, it's normal. It binds to nerve receptors and turns them on (parathesia).

[TX911]

^^^^

for sure. it's a slight tingling sensation that will freak you out if you're not ready for it but you'll come to like it. alot of this is mental for me. i take it before and during my workout and when i realize that i'm not getting fatigued i get in a better mood, get my second wind and feel like wrecking something. i used to pop the ON BCAA caps during my workout along with my drink which was a great product i thought, but the BA is over the fuckin top. I'm telling y'all, get on BB.com and search the supplement forum for the controlled labs rep on there, send him an email and he'll send you a free sample of the purple wraath, which is apparantly their flagship BA product. He also sent me a sample of green magnitude which tasted ok, but of course you're not gonna get much to judge it on out of 1 creatine sample

[Monger]

KK, do you have any plans of trying BA? If so, I hope you share the results with us (or at least me ).

[King Kabuki]

I've been trying to get our store owner to order it, this way I get to try it for free.

[biz9lljames]

kabuki, could you explain what you mean by carb loading with creatine and BA? and how to do it(when, how much)

[Jake Martin]

I got mine in and took my first dose today. Too early to tell whether it's helping or not (Gonna give it a few workouts) but let me tell you that if you're not expecting it, the 'prickly' feeling can make you think you're having an allergic reaction to the stuff.

Evidently it's pretty normal though..sort of unnerving at first, though.

[Cooz]

so what's the best method of taking this? assuming you get the bulk powder and not the "cocktail" as in purple wraath. With gatorade, protein shake, weight gainer? (just something with carbs?)

[Hbs6]

2-3 grams pre workout is all i have been doing and love it. Your endurance is amazing on this stuff. It seriously helps you eak out that last rep when lifting. I dontk now how else to explain it, it feels like you should fail, yet the wieght just keeps moving. Little bit of sides though, nothing bad...it igves me a little bit of tingling sensation for a few minutes after i take it but its starting to fade away. Seriously though, this stuff is cheap and if you have a little extra cash give it a try.