Beta-Alanine vs Creatine Supplements: Which Are Best?

Creatine and beta-alanine are among the most well-researched supplements available. Here, after a brief overview of what they are, we'll take a look at the top-rated creatine and beta-alanine supplements on the market and at what research studies say about their effectiveness. 

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that helps replenish adenosine triphosphate (ATP) stores in muscle cells, which is crucial for energy production during high-intensity exercise. Creatine supplementation, particularly with creatine monohydrate, increases creatine levels in skeletal muscles, leading to enhanced ATP regeneration, improved strength, and increased power output during short bursts of activity (Chillibeck et al., 2017). 

What is Beta-Alanine?

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that combines with histidine to enhance the production of carnosine, which helps buffer hydrogen ions and delay lactic acid accumulation in muscles during intense exercise. The effects of increasing muscle carnosine levels include improved endurance (Santana et al., 2018), reduced muscle fatigue (Hoffman et al., 2008), and enhanced performance in high-intensity, sustained activities (Maté-Muñoz et al., 2018).

What Are the Best Creatine Supplements?

Athletes (e.g., power athletes) usually take creatine in one of three ways: in powder form, pill form, or gummies. 

Creatine Powders

The table below shows the best creatine powders according to those who have tested them. 

Table 1. Creatine Powders from Myprotein, Optimum Nutrition, and Bodybuilding Warehouse

Creatine Pills

The table below shows some of the best creatine pills according to consumers. 

Table 1. Creatine Pills from Myprotein, Optimum Nutrition, and Bodybuilding Warehouse

Creatine Gummies

As you can see in the table, there's little to separate the most popular creatine gummies—they're all rated 4.4 out of 5 and have 0.5 grams of creatine per gummy. 

Table 3. Creatine Gummies from Myprotein, Revigr, and RX Performance

What Are the Best Beta-Alanine​ Supplements?

Athletes usually take beta-alanine in one of three ways: in powder form, in a capsule, or as part of a pre-workout supplement that includes a combination of beta-alanine and other ingredients that enhance overall exercise performance, such as caffeine and citrulline. 

Beta-Alanine Powders

Here are some of the top-rated beta-alanine powders on Amazon:

• Bulk Store Pure Beta-Alanine (4.4/5) – Pouch of unflavoured powder
• Applied Nutrition Beta-Alanine (4.7/5) – Tub of unflavoured powder (contains no animal products or artificial sweeteners)
• Peak Supps Beta-Alanine (4.4/5) – Pouch of unflavoured powder

Beta-Alanine Capsules

These are some of Amazon's top-rated beta-alanine capsules:

• Freak Athletics Beta-Alanine (4.2/5) – 120 capsules, each with 750 mg of beta-alanine.
• Victory Endurance Beta-Alanine (4.3/5) – 90 capsules, each with 800 mg of beta-alanine.
• Nutricost Beta-Alanine (4.6/5) – 240 capsules, each with 850 mg of beta-alanine.

Pre-Workout Supplements With Beta-Alanine

Top-rated pre-workout supplements containing beta-alanine include:

• Bulk Store Dope Pre-Workout (4.6/5) – Powder with beta-alanine, creatine, caffeine, arginine, citrulline, taurine, and vitamin B6. Comes in a range of flavours (e.g., blue raspberry, fruit punch)
• SCI_MX X-Plode Pre-Workout (4.4/5) – Powder with beta-alanine, caffeine, citrulline, and vitamins, available in tropical and sour watermelon flavours.
• DY Nutrition Pre-Workout (4.3/5) – The pre-workout powder of legendary bodybuilder Dorian Yates. Comes in a variety of flavours (e.g., bubblegum, cola) and contains beta-alanine, caffeine, citrulline malate, green tea leaf extract, and B vitamins
• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout (4.4/5) – Powder with beta-alanine, caffeine, B vitamins, and creatine. Available in a variety of flavours (e.g., blue raspberry, watermelon)

Do Creatine and Beta-Alanine Supplements Promote Muscle Growth?

Here's what the research says about whether creatine and beta-alanine supplements can contribute to muscle gains...

Creatine and Muscle Growth

Research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology revealed that women who supplemented with creatine during resistance training saw significantly greater gains in skeletal muscle mass than those who received a placebo (Aguiar et al., 2013).

You can learn more about how creatine contributes to muscle tissue development in my articles on the best budget creatine and comparing creatine and whey protein. 

Beta-Alanine and Muscle Growth

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that beta-alanine supplementation does not appear to increase muscle mass regardless of dosage or exercise type (Ashtary-Larky et al., 2022).

Do Creatine and Beta-Alanine Supplements Enhance Body Composition?

Here's what the research says about whether creatine and beta-alanine supplements can enhance body composition...

Creatine and Body Composition

A meta-analysis of 19 studies by Forbes et al. (2019) found that creatine supplementation was associated with greater body fat loss compared to a placebo.

Beta-Alanine and Body Composition

One double-blind trial found that combining beta-alanine supplementation with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) significantly improved endurance performance and increased lean body mass in recreationally active men, suggesting that beta-alanine can enhance both aerobic capacity and body composition (Smith et al., 2009).

If you're interested in lean muscle mass, you might like my article on the best protein supplements for weight loss. 

Do Creatine and Beta-Alanine Supplements Increase Power Output?

Here's what the research says about whether creatine and beta-alanine supplements can contribute to more intense bursts of power...

Creatine and Peak Power

A meta-analysis of 22 studies by Chillibeck et al. (2017) demonstrated that creatine supplementation during resistance training significantly boosts lean tissue mass and enhances both upper and lower body muscular strength in adults.

Learn more about this topic in my article on the benefits of creatine for athletic performance. 

Beta-Alanine and Peak Power

A study by Maté-Muñoz et al. (2018) found that a daily dose of 6.4 grams of beta-alanine over five weeks significantly enhanced power output and strength gains during resistance training, resulting in greater improvements in maximal strength (1RM) and power performance compared to the placebo group.

How beta-alanine contributes to physical performance is also discussed in my article on the best beta-alanine supplements. 

Do Creatine and Beta-Alanine Benefit Endurance Athletes?

Here's what the research says about whether creatine and beta-alanine supplementation can help endurance athletes...

Creatine and Endurance

A study on elite rowers found that creatine supplementation significantly improved endurance, as indicated by a higher lactate threshold, and enhanced anaerobic performance, allowing athletes to row longer during all-out efforts without affecting maximal power output (Chwalbiñska-Moneta, 2003).

If you're interested in other supplements that can increase peak performance during endurance events, such as sodium bicarbonate, check out my article on the best supplements for marathon runners. 

Beta-Alanine and Endurance

A study published in Frontiers in Physiology found that beta-alanine supplementation significantly improved 10-km running performance by reducing completion time and lowering post-exercise lactate concentration in physically active adults (Santana et al., 2018). 

To learn more about how supplements can boost performance during endurance challenges, take a look at my article on the best pre-running supplements. 

Do Creatine and Beta-Alanine Supplements Promote Muscle Recovery?

Here's what the research says about whether creatine and beta-alanine supplementation and muscle recovery...

Creatine and Muscle Recovery

One study found that creatine supplementation for five days before a 30-km race significantly reduced inflammation and muscle damage following the race compared to the control group, without any side effects (Santos et al., 2004).

You might also like my article on the best supplements to recover from intense training. 

Beta-Alanine and Muscle Recovery

A 2012 study demonstrated that twelve weeks of beta-alanine supplementation significantly enhanced recovery during high-intensity intermittent exercise, as measured by the YoYo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2 (Saunders et al., 2012).

Whether beta-alanine can contribute to recovery following a hard training session is discussed in my article comparing beta-alanine and BCAA supplements. 

Do Creatine and Beta-Alanine Supplements Delay Fatigue?

Here's what the research says about whether creatine and beta-alanine supplementation can delay fatigue...

Creatine and Fatigue

A study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition found that creatine supplementation significantly delayed the onset of fatigue and increased strength and endurance during weight training in males (Urbanski et al., 1999).

You might also like my article on how creatine and L-carnitine contribute to high-intensity exercise performance. 

Beta-Alanine and Fatigue

A 30-day study published in Nutrition Research reported that daily beta-alanine supplementation significantly boosted training volume and reduced perceived fatigue in collegiate American football players (Hoffman et al., 2008).

If you're interested in how different amino acids have a positive effect on exercise performance, take a look at my article on BCAAs and EAAs. 

Do Creatine and Beta-Alanine Supplements Improve Cognitive Function?

Here's what the research says about whether the health benefits of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation include improved cognitive function...

Creatine and Cognitive Function

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by Avgerinos et al. (2018) concluded that creatine supplementation may enhance short-term memory and cognitive functions, including intelligence and reasoning, in healthy individuals.

Beta-Alanine and Cognitive Function

A ten-week study published in Nutrients found 2.4 grams of beta-alanine per day significantly enhanced cognitive function and reduced depression in older adults with below-normal baseline cognitive scores (Ostfeld et al., 2023).

Other Questions About Creatine and Beta-Alanine Supplements

Q: What are common side effects of creatine and beta-alanine supplements?

A: It's normal to experience weight gain when taking creatine as it increases water retention (Powers et al., 2003). A common adverse effect of beta-alanine supplementation is a tingling sensation (Dolan et al., 2019). 

Q: Does increasing beta-alanine levels with dietary supplements reduce oxidative stress?

A: Several previous studies have failed to find positive effects of beta-alanine on oxidative stress (Belviranli et al., 2016; Smith et al., 2012; Smith-Ryan et al., 2014). 

Q: ​What is a creatine loading phase and is it necessary?

A: A creatine loading phase involves consuming large doses of creatine (≥20 g/day) for 5–7 days to rapidly increase muscle creatine levels. However, a 2021 meta-analysis study found no significant differences in strength gains between individuals using a creatine loading phase and those taking small amounts of creatine daily, indicating the loading phase is not necessary for long-term benefits (Forbes et al., 2021).

About the Author

Dave Robinson is a co-founder of ukfitness.pro and has a background in psychology (BSc) and neuroscience (MSc, PhD). As well as strength training, he enjoys endurance challenges and has completed marathons and ultramarathons, cycled across several countries, and completed the Three Peaks Challenge. When writing, he draws on scientific evidence to understand the pros and cons of different diets, supplements, and training regimes. 

As an Amazon Associate, the site earns from qualifying purchases.

References

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