Carnosine Supplementation

#61

Maybe I can summarize the amino acid interactions — please correct and edit this so we have the right interactions. From first glance, it would seem that we’d need to “dose” ourselves (with powder mixtures) at least three different points during the day to get glycine, taurine, and carnosine (and/or beta-alanine) to not compete. Plus creatine could be fit in anywhere.

Glycine competes with beta-alanine, and competes with taurine. It does not compete with creatine. I’ve heard glycine helps with sleep but for me it is too much at night so I take it in the morning.

Taurine competes with glycine and beta-alanine (above) and not with creatine. Taurine helps with sleep so better at night?

Beta-alanine doesn’t compete with creatine, but does compete with glycine and taurine.

Carnosine doesn’t appear to compete with anything.

I’m not sure how collagen fits in because (if I understand correctly) it consists of glycine as the largest component.

So, if you are taking glycine and/or collagen, and taurine, glycine and/or collagen should be taken at one end of the day, and taurine at the other. Or perhaps taurine at night and glycine at midday? (Many of us take glycine as a sweetener in coffee so this implies morning)

Creatine can be taken at any time. But if you are looking for exercise performance enhancement, it is best just before or just after exercise.

Beta-alanine can’t be taken with either glycine or taurine. Also if you are looking for exercise performance enhancement, it is best just before or just after exercise. so perhaps taking it in the middle of the day before exercise (with creatine) is best. Or take it first thing in the morning if you exercise then, and then glycine at midday. One caveat: athletic performance enhancement was seen in 3-6g per day of college athletes, but the itching occurs when more than 1.6g were administered at one time, so they appear to be dosing them every few hours of roughly 1g, so this suggests it will be a pain to take this multiple times per day. Or maybe you develop a resistance?

Carnosine can be taken with any of these. But if you are looking for exercise performance enhancement, it is best just before or just after exercise. So taking it with the beta-alanine and creatine just before/after exercise is best.

So if I were “dedicated”, I’d have daily:
o. 6g glycine, 15g collagen and 100mg NACET with my morning coffee (which I’ve done for 8.5 months) — I’m likely to stop the cocoa in the coffee because it seems the polyphenol concentration is too low to bother.
o. 3-5g Creatine (which I have for two weeks), carnosine, and/or 1-3g beta-alanine (not taking yet) just before/after exercise (for me this is midday/afternoon so timing works). I’m unlikely to bother with subsequent daily doses of beta-alanine because at some point this is getting ridiculous.
o. Taurine before bed. (Not taking yet)

Does this sound right? Does this sound overkill?

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#62

AIUI Carsoninase which splits Carnosine into Beta Alanine and Histidine is in serum and cells. Hence if you take Carnosine it will to some extent be the same as taking Beta Alanine (and histidine)

#63

True (I believe). Which is why I suggested taking it on the same schedule as beta-alanine. Although I didn’t see any literature which specifically suggested an interaction in vivo of carnosine and the others, even with the expectation that it is transformed into beta-alanine/etc.

#64

Thanks. The paper says:

“Carnosine supplementation results in a decrease in HbA1C, but elicits no effect on HOMA-IR, Cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, TG and HDL-C. “

I’m guessing this means Carnosine speeds up postprandial insulin release to lower A1C (estimate of AUC) but it does not improve insulin sensitivity (Homa-ir not changed). So it’s an insulin stage 1 help without helping stage 2 (steady state). Protein in general is reportedly a help in this same way for insulin resistant people.

#65

The point of contact for the paper;

Author

Peixiang He

View in Scopus

Department of Endocrinology, Yiyang Central Hospital, Yiyang, Hunan, 413000, China

Corresponding author at: Department of Endocrinology, Yiyang central hospital, Yiyang, Hunan, 413000, China.

hpx13607372305@sina.com

#66

I’m very cautious with dosing and try not to overdo it. I also don’t take any supplement for a long time or consistently. Lately I’ve been on a break from almost everything.

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