Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis Provides No Evidence of Intervention Response Variation in Individuals Supplementing With Beta-Alanine

Author(s)

Esteves, Gabriel Perri ^[1] ; Swinton, Paul ^[2] ; Sale, Craig ^[3] ; James, Ruth M. ^[3] ; Artioli, Guilherme Giannini ^[1] ; Roschel, Hamilton ^[1] ; Gualano, Bruno ^{[4, 1]} ; Saunders, Bryan ^{[5, 1]} ; Dolan, Eimear ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Appl Physiol & Nutr Res Grp, Sch Phys Educ & Sport, Rheumatol Div, Fac Med FMUSP, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Robert Gordon Univ, Sch Hlth Sci, Aberdeen - Scotland

^[3] Nottingham Trent Univ, Sch Sci & Technol, Musculoskeletal Physiol Res Grp, Nottingham - England

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Food Res Ctr, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med FMUSP, Inst Orthopaed & Traumatol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT NUTRITION AND EXERCISE METABOLISM; v. 31, n. 4, p. 305-313, JUL 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Currently, little is known about the extent of interindividual variability in response to beta-alanine (BA) supplementation, nor what proportion of said variability can be attributed to external factors or to the intervention itself (intervention response). To investigate this, individual participant data on the effect of BA supplementation on a high-intensity cycling capacity test (CCT110%) were meta-analyzed. Changes in time to exhaustion (TTE) and muscle carnosine were the primary and secondary outcomes. Multilevel distributional Bayesian models were used to estimate the mean and SD of BA and placebo group change scores. The relative sizes of group SDs were used to infer whether observed variation in change scores were due to intervention or non-intervention-related effects. Six eligible studies were identified, and individual data were obtained from four of these. Analyses showed a group effect of BA supplementation on TTE (7.7, 95% credible interval {[}CrI] {[}1.3, 14.3] s) and muscle carnosine (18.1, 95% CrI {[}14.5, 21.9] mmol/kg DM). A large intervention response variation was identified for muscle carnosine (sigma(IR) = 5.8, 95% CrI {[}4.2, 7.4] mmol/kg DM) while equivalent change score SDs were shown for TTE in both the placebo (16.1, 95% CrI {[}13.0, 21.3] s) and BA (15.9, 95% CrI {[}13.0, 20.0] s) conditions, with the probability that SD was greater in placebo being 0.64. In conclusion, the similarity in observed change score SDs between groups for TTE indicates the source of variation is common to both groups, and therefore unrelated to the supplement itself, likely originating instead from external factors such as nutritional intake, sleep patterns, or training status. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/05616-6 - The bone response to exercise: a translational research program exploring clinical and mechanistic aspects
• Grantee: Eimear Bernadette Dolan
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 20/07860-9 - The influence of exercise training on bone health in patients taking high doses of glucocorticoids
• Grantee: Gabriel Perri Esteves
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 19/25032-9 - The role of carnosine on Ca2+ handling, control of oxidative stress and protection against protein glycation: advances and applications of the study life without carnosine
• Grantee: Hamilton Augusto Roschel da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/50438-0 - Nutritional suplementation and exercise to optimize exercise performance: focus on individual responses and a step towards personalized sports nutrition
• Grantee: Bryan Saunders
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/26899-6 - The bone response to exercise a translational research program exploring clinical and mechanistic aspects
• Grantee: Eimear Bernadette Dolan
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Young Researchers