The itchy ingredient in pre-workout is called beta-alanine. And when you take it, the carnosine levels in your muscles increase.
The benefit: Beta-alanine allows you to run for longer and grind through more reps in the gym before feeling the burn of lactic acid running through your muscles.
…but there's a side effect!
Your body sees this boost in carnosine levels and releases histamines - the same thing that happens when you have an allergic reaction.
This is completely harmless but it leads to the itchy effect also called "paresthesia".
𝟮 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀:
- Because the beta alanine itch is caused by histamines, you can take benadryl to relieve the itching - this totally works!
- Also, if you want to improve your endurance with beta alanine, you need to take it consistently every day like you do with creatine. Taking a scoop a few minutes before your workout won't work.
Performance Bites by GRIT Superfoods is the only food on the market that contains beta-alanine. By combining over 1,000mg of beta-alanine with extra virgin olive oil and fiber, these Peformance Bites help your body absorb beta-alanine more efficiently than taking powder on its own.
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3491570/
- https://www.carnosyn.com/why-does-beta-alanine-make-you-itch/#:~:text=Simply%20put%2C%20ingesting%20beta%2Dalanine,no%20need%20to%20be%20alarmed.
