I did a google search and some of what I immediately came up with was some people saying they think they associate beta alanine with heart palpitations, and a medical related site that indicated there was no known correlation.
The story with me is that I read over New Year’s that most people aren’t taking enough beta alanine, the amounts in preworkouts are not enough to do much good. I then bought a free standing supply of it and decided that I would supplement my preworkout such that I was getting about a teaspoon each day, 3.2g. Of course I would take it on non workout days as well, totaling the same amount.
With no other factors different, I am taking the same other preworkouts in the same doses, the same amount of caffeine each day, and creatine monohydrate. I have noticed heart palpitations since the beginning of January.
I am collecting experience from people to confirm the likelihood of what I am thinking. If so, how scared should I be?
Aren’t heart palpitations the kind of thing you see a doctor for? I’ve been taking beta alanine for about a year and a half almost every day and I haven’t noticed anything. Could be because I’ve gradually been increasing my dosage (up to ~4.5g from ~2g when I first started), or because I’m just not self-aware enough.
I haven’t heard anything about beta alanine being bad for you, but I’m interested to see if anyone else has had those symptoms. I might have to reevaluate what I’m using.
Yes, I know it is a doctor visit sort of thing, I wanted to cover this possibility first. Maybe it is inconsistent in its overall effects on people. One thing I will note is that I had palpitations on Sunday, when last I had taken a preworkout on Friday, but was still using Beta alanine every day. I started having this issue in correlation to upping my beta alanine intake.
I will wait for more responses before I decide what to do.
PersonallyI would just stop using it then loads of other supps out there to give your workouts a boost. Citrulline malate comes to mind.
Some other thought: if do keep taking it only need it preworkout, waste of money to have on off days
taking preworkout with a bunch of stims every session is not great for you either -can lead to raised blood pressure and minor heart issues like palpatation feelings, also lead to feeling burnt out and even stress the adrenals. best take just once a week and the other days just get caffeine
As to stimulants, i am relying on a one hour window after the end of breakfast coffee (breakfast/preworkout meal) before I take let’s say a 3/4 scoop of Mr. Hyde, amounting to 300 mg of caffeine just there. I have done such a thing for several years, and it is scary to contemplate if maybe I have gone down a cumulative road with it to reach what I notice now. So part of my immediate plan is to scale back caffeine intake, basically the coffee on the same day as a preworkout formula.
As I am noticing this event since using beta alanine above preworkout formulas (one or another on any given workout day) I will immediately cut that out, and see.
I don’t know if it is relevant, but I was flying high with my training this past 5 or 6 weeks, and a week and a half ago noticed a sharp drop in my energy level, I barely wanted to get out of bed. I noticed a sharp drop off in performance so I took most of last week off, maybe it made sense anyway, I may have lost track of time drilling away at it. Friday and today I went at it sub par.
So going forward I will when I actually feel a good energy level exercise without extra beta alanine and reduced caffeine and see over the next few days how things seem.
I am actually waking up to being more reasonable with the caffeine. It is just that I had been doing the same thing for the longest time and it is only in the month and a bit that I added extra beta alanine that I noticed the palpitations, different people might not have the same experience.
As more of an update, I stopped taking the higher daily amount of beta alanine after this past Sunday, I took a 3/4 scoop of Mr. Hyde preworkout (Canadian formula) on each of Monday and Tuesday that gave me about 1.85 g of BA each time, and on Wednesday took a sampler of an intraworkout that is more like a pre with 1.5g. today none of the above. I have noticed a sharp drop off to the point I don’t have palpitations, so I am convinced of what I thought.
Beyond that I have over the last couple of weeks noticed a sharp drop off in exercise performance and waking up tired. Since i have a muscular strain in my left forearm, I am restricting myself to an aerobics routine that is partly calisthenic that doesn’t aggravate it. I was doing this 4 times per week for a while and I wonder if I just have to program more rest or this is a related issue.
As a closure to this, I have been off of extra beta alanine for over a week. that is I still get some with a preworkout, but having less than 3.2g per day. the palpitations are long gone, so my theory in the first place must have been correct.
Thanks for the information OP! I’ve been dealing with random heart-palpitations for almost a year now. I never had any pain, or shortness of breath, they just concerned me because it’s obviously irregular. I saw a doctor and he told me to monitor the supplements I’ve been taking, and to see him again if it gets worse. I’ve barely worked out, or taken any supps for the past four weeks. My palpitations almost stopped completely during this time.
My usual pre-workout was a caffeine pill, BCAAs, beta alanine, creatine and citrulline malate. However, yesterday I only took beta alanine and BCAAs before doing 5/3/1 deadlift day with BBB, and my heart was going crazy while I was resting a couple hours later. These were the first supps I’d taken in almost two weeks. I think it’s got to be the beta alanine, which I always assumed was pretty innocuous.
Long story short, I’m going to cut the beta alanine too and see how it goes!
Maybe use some Beta alanine, but only so much. I found that instead of taking what amounts to 1 teaspoon of the stuff (3.2grams), I don’t go above 2 grams, and I am fine. I get the benefit of what a lot of preworkouts have, but not the negative of worrying about my heart.
I’m going to try cutting BCAAs next, dropping the beta alanine didn’t seem to make a difference (one week later). If it’s not the BCAAs, then I’m ruling out supplements completely in my case. I’m hoping it might be an electrolyte imbalance, so I’m going to try loading up on magnesium and potassium.
See a doctor. It is not always beta alanine that causes it. Supplements are not regulated by FDA. I notice I have fast heartbeat as well after taking certain brand/type of pre-workout.
It is true that a lot of supplement labels have warnings clearly stated that often say to consult with a qualified health care professional before taking.
As to branched chain amino acids, they do constitute 35% of your muscle and you eat them every day. A year ago I bought one product that had a whole host of support ingredients, and every day after taking it I would get heart palpitations. What I did was to get an amazing deal on a basic BCAA product, no bells and whistles ingredients, and mix that with a half scoop of the first stuff. I would get about as much BCAAs, but it must have diluted the support ingredients to the point there was no off issue, and it worked fine.
Other than that, humans are the same but no, we are really each different.
So I started taking Beta Arlanine about 2 months ago and about 2 weeks after I was in hospital with severe heart palpitations
At this point I stopped all exercise and supplements. I was checked over top to bottom, bloods, scans, monitors and all. I am a 40 yo crossfitter and the doctor reckons I have the heart of a healthy 25yo and told me to get back to exercise as it will help.
He also said there is nothing wrong with me, some people are just more susceptible to heart palpitations and should avoid artificial stimulus ( you should always have it checked though, just in case…remember I am just sharing my experience, I am no doctor)
I went back to crossfit over the Christmas break and started back on the supps last week then today my palpitations have returned.
Now I for one am going to stop taking Beta Arlanine and see where I end up over the next couple of days…I will post back with my experience.