When beta-alanine is broken down it produces a chemical known as carnosine. Carnosine is the key amino acid. It plays a great role in muscle endurance. Carnosine plays a major role in the body, especially in the muscles building process. Carnosine is stored in the skeletal muscles and which acts as a buffer and possesses antioxidant properties. The intake of beta-alanine supplements produces more carnosine that plays greater roles especially during high-intensity exercise as discussed below;
- 1. Carnosine is an antioxidant.
Cellular oxidation may be a big contributor to the aging and death of cells and tissues – from inside the body to what people see on the skin. Carnosine acts as an antioxidant in these processes by scavenging free radicals and reducing the negative impact they need on cells, tissues, and DNA molecules.
- 2. Carnosine can offer itself to protein-crosslinking.
Glycation is when a protein or lipid molecule bonds to a sugar and is understood to be another process of aging that you simply want to decelerate. When protein glycation occurs, the protein is more vulnerable to cross-linkage. The resulting molecules cause an inflammatory response that accelerates aging. Carnosine can suppress harmful cross-linkage by binding to a protein and sparing other important proteins within the body from this bondage.
- Carnosine can help if cross-linking has already occurred.
Lifestyle and dietary factors can cause protein glycation and subsequent cross-linking at an early age, and once they do, the body calls upon proteasomes to assist eliminate these structures. Unfortunately, increasing biological and chronological age adversely affects the efficiency of proteasomal degradation efficiency, meaning there is less capable of reversing or eliminating the altered proteins. Carnosine plays a task in stimulating the activity of proteasomes et al. to eliminate the detrimentally altered proteins.
- 4. Carnosine supports mitochondrial functioning.
The mitochondria are liable for generating all the energy employed by your body. Mitochondrial function within the cells is negatively impacted by free radicals and harmful glycation. Carnosine’s antioxidant activity and its anti-glycation function promote optimal mitochondrial function.
- Carnosine delays the shortening of telomeres.
The repetitive DNA sequence at the top of chromosomes, referred to as a telomere, is linked to longevity. The longer the telomere length, the higher the likelihood of living a healthier and longer life. Although telomeres naturally shorten with progressive cell division, carnosine has been found to delay this replicative deleterious effect, and perhaps even extend the lifespan of cells in the body.
- Carnosine helps eliminate excess metals from the body.
Carnosine can bind to excess zinc, copper, and iron ions that accumulate in amyloid-beta proteins, therefore suppressing their toxicity. In this regard, carnosine is being analyzed as a part of a therapeutic plan for neurological disorders.
In conclusion, the carnosine itself contains less than 50% beta-alanine therefore it is not advisable to take the carnosine itself as it may not provide the optimal carnosine level required in the body. Therefore to achieve a more and effective carnosine level, it’s recommended to dot through beta-alanine.
