A compound made of two amino acids, concentrated in muscle and brain.
Why it’s used: Acts as a buffer in muscle cells.
L-carnosine is a dipeptide, a small molecule made of two amino acids joined together: beta-alanine and histidine. It is concentrated in skeletal muscle and is also found in the brain and other excitable tissues. The body makes its own carnosine, and the main dietary sources are meat and fish, with beef a particularly rich source. Plants contain none.
In muscle, carnosine acts as a buffer, helping to manage the acid that builds up during intense exercise. In laboratory studies it also binds metals and shows antioxidant properties, which is why researchers are interested in it. These describe how carnosine behaves in the body; they are not authorised health claims.
When you swallow carnosine, an enzyme in the blood called serum carnosinase breaks much of it down into beta-alanine and histidine. Muscle then uses beta-alanine to rebuild carnosine, which is why some sports products use beta-alanine instead. On labels it appears as L-carnosine, with amounts listed in milligrams (mg).
3 findings behind this ingredient. Hover a card for the detail and the source.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 9 trials with 350 participants. Supplementation significantly reduced CRP, TNF-alpha and malondialdehyde and raised catalase versus placebo, with no effect on several other markers.
Placebo-controlled randomised trial in 299 adults taking 2 g carnosine a day or placebo for about 12 weeks. Calf-raise endurance improved in under-40s and step-test performance in men over 40, with no change in grip strength.
Two double-blind placebo-controlled crossover studies giving 20 mg/kg each of carnosine and anserine before exercise. Power in the first 5 seconds of a Wingate sprint rose by about 6%, and peak power by about 3% across repeated sprints.
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L-carnosine is a compound of beta-alanine and histidine found mainly in muscle and brain. In muscle it acts as a buffer against the acid produced during intense exercise. Researchers are studying its antioxidant properties, but it has no authorised health claims.
Beta-alanine is one of the two building blocks of carnosine. When you take carnosine, much of it is broken down in the blood into beta-alanine and histidine, and muscle then uses beta-alanine to make carnosine again. That is why both appear in sports formulas.
Carnosine is found in meat and fish, and beef is a particularly rich source. Plants contain none, so people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet rely on the carnosine their own bodies make.
Information only, not medical advice. If you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your GP or pharmacist first.
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