Characterization of the metabolic effect of β-alanine on markers of oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle

[PURPOSE]: β-alanine is a common component of numerous sports supplements purported to improve athletic performance through enhanced carnosine biosynthesis and related intracellular buffering. To date, the effects of β-alanine on oxidative metabolism remain largely unexplored. This work investigated the effects of β-alanine on the expression of proteins which regulate cellular energetics. [METHODS]: C2C12 myocytes were cultured and differentiated under standard conditions followed by treatment with either β-alanine or isonitrogenous non-metabolizable control D-alanine at 800μM for 24 hours. Metabolic gene and protein expression were quantified by qRT-PCR and immunoblotting, respectively. Glucose uptake and oxygen consumption were measured via fluorescence using commercially available kits. [RESULTS]: β-alanine-treated myotubes displayed significantly elevated markers of improved oxidative metabolism including elevated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ/δ) and mitochondrial transcription factor a (TFAM) which led to increased mitochondrial content (evidenced by concurrent increases in cytochrome c content). Additionally, β-alanine-treated cells exhibited significantly increased oxygen consumption compared to control in a PPARβ/δ-dependent manner. β-alanine significantly enhanced expression of myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF-2) leading to increased glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) content. [CONCLUSION]: β-alanine appears to increase cellular oxygen consumption as well as the expression of several cellular proteins associated with improved oxidative metabolism, suggesting β-alanine supplementation may provide additional metabolic benefit (although these observations require in vivo experimental verification).