Beta-alanine (Carnosyn™) supplementation in elderly subjects (60-80 years): effects on muscle carnosine content and physical capacity

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Carnosine in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on exercise capacity and the muscle carnosine content in elderly subjects.

Why It Was Studied

Eighteen healthy elderly subjects (60-80 years, 10 female and 4 male) were randomly assigned to receive either beta-alanine (BA, n=12) or placebo (PL, n=6) for 12 weeks.

At baseline (PRE) and after 12 weeks (POST-12) of supplementation, assessments were made of the muscle carnosine content, anaerobic exercise capacity, muscle function, quality of life, physical activity and food intake.

Who Took Part

PubMed indexes the participants as middle-aged adults, older adults and people over 80, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Carnosine group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Blinding on both sides kept the participants and researchers unaware of who received Carnosine.

Some participants received a placebo instead of Carnosine, giving a reference point.

The methods mention a period of 12 weeks.

What Was Measured

At baseline (PRE) and after 12 weeks (POST-12) of supplementation, assessments were made of the muscle carnosine content, anaerobic exercise capacity, muscle function, quality of life, physical activity and food intake.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Aging, Carnosine, Dietary Supplements, Exercise Test, Muscle, Skeletal, Physical Endurance and beta-Alanine.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Carnosine over 12 weeks.

The publication is from 2012 (Amino acids), a journal based in Austria.

More context: the Carnosine compound page, all human trials.