Some days you hit your workout feeling powerful and energized. You complete your routine, knowing you gave it your all.
On other days, you struggle. You work hard, but you’re exhausted. You try to shake the grogginess and fatigue, but it feels like you can’t do anything to change how your body is responding.
If this sounds all too familiar, you need a supplement that will provide an edge in your fitness and nutrition to overcome that struggle. And if there’s a supplement known to improve muscle strength and endurance, it’s L-carnosine.
What is L-carnosine?
L-carnosine, also known as carnosine or (β-alanyl-l-histidine), is a naturally occurring substance in the body. It’s a dipeptide or compound made of two amino acids: beta-alanine and histidine.
The human body uses amino acids to make proteins, build muscle, prevent illness, transport nutrients, and carry out other functions. A deficiency can result in digestive problems, decreased immunity, lower mental alertness, and many other health issues.
The Link Between Beta-Alanine and Histidine Amino Acids and Their Roles in Human Muscle Carnosine Storage
Beta-alanine (β-ALA), a constituent amino acid of carnosine, reduces acidity in muscles and improves the outcome of high-intensity workouts. [1]
Meanwhile, Histidine protects nerve cells, makes proteins and histamine (which mediates allergic reactions), produces blood cells, and repairs and promotes tissue growth. [2]
Additionally, the two amino acids help form carnosine, which is essential for muscle and brain tissues. Carnosine forms in the liver and is stored in the skeletal muscle.
However, L-Carnosine acts differently from L-Carnitine. Both contain amino acids, but L-Carnitine comprises the amino acids lysine and methionine. These two are needed to release energy from fat.
Studies have found that reduced carnosine presence in the body increases pro-inflammatory cytokines. [3] Inflammatory cytokines are linked to muscle soreness and heart and lung capacity decrease. It also consequently affects the intensity and duration of exercise.
L-Carnosine: How Does It Work?
To fully appreciate the benefits of L-carnosine supplementation in bodybuilding, let’s first understand what happens during exercise performance.
What Happens to Your Body When You Workout?
During high-intensity exercise, our body relies on anaerobic glycolysis as the main energy source. As your workout intensifies, lactic acid breaks down into lactate, releasing hydrogen ions (H+). These H+ ions start to build up and lower the muscle’s pH, which is a measure of its acidity.
This increase in acidity (acidosis) interferes with various metabolic processes, leading to reduced muscle force and eventually fatigue, as shown by research conducted by Spriet et al. in 1989.
Specifically, the buildup of H+ in the muscle disrupts the regeneration of phosphorylcreatine, inhibits glycolysis, and directly affects the muscle’s ability to contract, as demonstrated by studies like those by Harris et al. in 1976.
More recent findings also suggest that the accumulation of H+ in the bloodstream can affect our perception of effort during high-intensity intermittent exercise, as indicated by Price and Moss in 2007. This indirect effect on our perception of effort could also contribute to the feeling of fatigue during intense workouts.
Increasing carnosine levels in the body can stop hydrogen ion accumulation from interfering with muscle performance and contraction.
4 Powerful Benefits of L-Carnosine in Bodybuilding
1. Decreases Muscle Fatigue
During intense exercise, the body breaks down glucose through glycolysis, a metabolic process that cells use to produce energy. The number of hydrogen ions and lactate acid increases when the workout intensity increases. As a result, these two become major byproducts of glucose metabolism.
That’s the feeling when you’re knee-deep in a workout session, and your muscles feel like they’re on fire. It also makes it impossible to complete the last few reps. Others call it “the burn,” a sensation of pain and fatigue that sets when you lift heavy loads repeatedly.
Carnosine acts as a buffer to help regulate the acidity (pH) within muscle cells during intense exercise. It helps neutralize the accumulating hydrogen ions (H+) that make muscles more acidic as they produce lactic acid. This buffering action of carnosine helps delay muscle fatigue and allows for sustained high-intensity effort during exercise.
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2. Supports Quick, Powerful Movements
A high proportion of fast-twitch fibers is advantageous for athletes, bodybuilders, powerlifters and any who engage in high-intensity resistance training. Fast-twitch muscle fibers generate greater force, contract more quickly for increased speed and power, and offer significant growth potential.
However, they are more susceptible to fatigue.
Fortunately, muscle biopsy samples showed higher L-carnosine levels in these fast-twitch muscle fibers (type II fibers). And the higher the concentration of carnosine in the muscle, the stronger it becomes and the slower it fatigues.
As mentioned, this reduction in fatigue is due to carnosine’s ability to act as a buffer, neutralizing accumulating hydrogen ions (H+) during intense exercise, thereby maintaining a more stable pH level in the muscle and delaying the onset of fatigue.
3. Boosts the Immune System
L-carnosine possesses strong antioxidant properties, significantly improving immune responses. It can keep your immune system strong, especially with the stresses of high-intensity training sessions.
An efficient immune system can indirectly support muscle growth. When your body is less burdened by fighting off infections and oxidative stress, more resources can be allocated to muscle repair and growth. It also helps expedite the recovery process after intense workouts. This means reduced muscle soreness and a quicker return to peak physical condition.
With a strengthened immune system, you just feel and work out better. Doing this results in an upward muscle growth, strength, recovery, and fat loss curve.
4. Improved Tendon, Ligament & Joint Health
Ligaments and tendons are prone to irritation over time because of the repetitive nature of movements when bodybuilding. The most common areas for injuries are knees and elbows. Muscle strain can also similarly occur when one overstretches or overloads the muscle fibers.
However, L-carnosine improves overall tendon, ligament and joint health. How?
L-carnosine acts as an antioxidant, helping to neutralize harmful free radicals in the body. These free radicals can contribute to inflammation and tissue damage in joints and tendons. By reducing oxidative stress, L-carnosine may help protect the structural integrity of these tissues.
L-carnosine has also been shown to inhibit glycation, a process where sugars bind to proteins, including those in tendons and joints. Glycation can lead to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which are associated with tissue damage and stiffness. L-carnosine’s ability to inhibit glycation may help preserve the health of these tissues.
Double Your Workout Effectiveness with Carnosport
In the world of bodybuilding, where the relentless pursuit of peak performance and physical excellence is a way of life, every advantage counts. If you’re someone who dedicates themselves to training day in and day out, you understand the importance of optimizing muscle recovery and performance.
That’s where CarnoSport steps in as your ultimate ally. With carnosine as its star ingredient, CarnoSport isn’t just another sports gel; it’s your ticket to conquering your next training session like never before.
Approved by all sports federations, CarnoSport has earned its reputation by delivering results where it matters most. It’s not just a product; it’s a game-changer. Say goodbye to muscle fatigue that holds you back, and embrace the accelerated muscle recovery that keeps you going. Feel the power of increased muscle performance that propels you towards your bodybuilding goals.
In the relentless pursuit of excellence, every advantage counts, and carnosine supplementation is your secret weapon. Elevate your bodybuilding journey, surpass your limits, and achieve the extraordinary. With CarnoSport, your potential knows no bounds. So, gear up, step into the arena, and conquer your bodybuilding dreams, one workout at a time.
Footnotes:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
