Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on body composition: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis

Damoon Ashtary-Larky; Reza Bagheri; Matin Ghanavati; Omid Asbaghi; Alexei Wong; Jeffrey R Stout; Katsuhiko Suzuki

doi:10.1080/15502783.2022.2079384

Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on body composition: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis

J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2022 May 31;19(1):196-218. doi: 10.1080/15502783.2022.2079384. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Damoon Ashtary-Larky¹, Reza Bagheri², Matin Ghanavati³, Omid Asbaghi⁴, Alexei Wong⁵, Jeffrey R Stout⁶, Katsuhiko Suzuki⁷

Affiliations

¹ Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz, Iran.
² Department of Exercise Physiology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
³ Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Teheran, Iran.
⁴ Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Cancer Research Center, Tehran, Iran.
⁵ Marymount University, Department of Health and Human Performance, Arlington, VA, USA.
⁶ University of Central Florida, Institute of Exercise Physiology and Physical Therapy, School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy, Orlando, FL, USA.
⁷ Waseda University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Tokorozawa, Japan.

Abstract

Purpose: Previous studies have suggested that beta-alanine supplementation may benefit exercise performance, but current evidence regarding its effects on body composition remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on body composition indices.

Methods: Online databases, including PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase, were searched up to April 2021 to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which examined the effect of beta-alanine supplementation on body composition indices. Meta-analyses were carried out using a random-effects model. The I² index was used to assess the heterogeneity of RCTs.

Results: Among the initial 1413 studies that were identified from electronic databases search, 20 studies involving 492 participants were eligible. Pooled effect size from 20 studies indicated that beta-alanine supplementation has no effect on body mass (WMD: -0.15 kg; 95% CI: -0.78 to 0.47; p = 0.631, I² = 0.0%, p = 0.998), fat mass (FM) (WMD: -0.24 kg; 95% CI: -1.16 to 0.68; p = 0.612, I² = 0.0%, p = 0.969), body fat percentage (BFP) (WMD: -0.06%; 95% CI: -0.53 to 0.40; p = 0.782, I² = 0.0%, p = 0.936), and fat-free mass (FFM) (WMD: 0.05 kg; 95% CI: -0.71 to 0.82; p = 0.889, I² = 0.0%, p = 0.912). Subgroup analyses based on exercise type (resistance training [RT], endurance training [ET], and combined training [CT]), study duration (<8 and ≥8 weeks), and beta-alanine dosage (<6 and ≥6 g/d) demonstrated similar results. Certainty of evidence across outcomes ranged from low to moderate.

Conclusions: This meta-analysis study suggests that beta-alanine supplementation is unlikely to improve body composition indices regardless of supplementation dosage and its combination with exercise training. No studies have examined the effect of beta-alanine combined with both diet and exercise on body composition changes as the primary variable. Therefore, future studies examining the effect of the combination of beta-alanine supplementation with a hypocaloric diet and exercise programs are warranted.

Keywords: beta-alanine; body composition; meta-analysis; systematic review.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Body Composition*
Dietary Supplements*
Exercise
Humans
beta-Alanine / pharmacology

Substances

beta-Alanine

Grants and funding

The author(s) reported that there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.