Β-alanine

Beta-Alanine-3D-balls

Β-alanine is a naturally occurring beta amino acid, which is an amino acid in which the amino group is at the β-position from the carboxylate group (i.e., two atoms away, see Alpha carbon). The IUPAC name for β-alanine is 3-aminopropanoic acid. Unlike its counterpart alpha-alanine, β-alanine has no stereocenter.

Structure and properties

β-alanine is a beta amino acid, which means that the amino group is attached to the β carbon atom, i.e., the second carbon atom in the molecule, counting from the carboxylate group. This distinguishes it from alpha-amino acids, where the amino group is attached to the α carbon atom, i.e., the carbon atom next to the carboxylate group.

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The structure of β-alanine.

β-alanine is a white crystalline solid, which is soluble in water and insoluble in most organic solvents. It has a melting point of 197-199 °C and a boiling point of 265 °C.

Biological role

In organisms, β-alanine is formed by the degradation of dihydrouracil and carnosine. It is a component of the naturally occurring peptides carnosine and anserine and also of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), which itself is a component of coenzyme A. Under normal conditions, β-alanine is metabolized into acetic acid.

β-alanine supplementation has been shown to increase the concentration of carnosine in muscles, decrease fatigue in athletes, and increase total muscular work done. Simply put, supplementation with β-alanine has been shown to increase the performance of high-intensity cardiovascular exercise such as sprinting, weight lifting, and any other rapid burst of movements.

See also

• Alpha-alanine
• Carnosine
• Pantothenic acid
• Coenzyme A