Effects of beta-alanine on body composition indices in basketball players: an review
Abstract
Introduction and Objective: Nutritional supplementation is essential for the performance of high-performance athletes, with protein and ergogenic supplements, such as beta-alanine (BA), standing out. Its use is common in sports that alternate between aerobic and anaerobic efforts, such as basketball, characterized by short, intense, and frequent actions. Although the effects of BA on perceived exertion and fatigue are well described in the literature, its impacts on body composition remain underexplored. Thus, this literature review aimed to investigate the effects of BA on body composition indices in basketball players. Materials and Methods: This is an review, with searches conducted in the databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, SCOPUS, and Web of Science. Descriptors were used according to the recommendations of DeCS and MeSH, with the keywords: “Beta alanine” AND “Basketball”. Results: A total of 94 articles were identified, of which only 2 met the inclusion criteria. Both studies indicated that BA supplementation does not promote significant changes in body mass or body mass index (BMI) but may be associated with a slightly greater reduction in body fat percentage compared to placebo. Conclusion: Beta-alanine supplementation has limited effects on the body composition of basketball athletes. Therefore, future studies using these parameters as primary outcomes, with longer intervention periods, larger samples, and inclusion of athletes at different competitive levels are needed.
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