# Physiological and performance adaptations to beta alanine supplementation and short sprint interval training in volleyball players

PMID: 39039103
Journal: Scientific Reports
Published: 2024 Jul 22
Authors: Guo W, Wang S

## Question

Does beta-alanine supplementation improve physiological and volleyball-specific adaptations during 8 weeks of short sprint interval training compared with placebo?

## Summary

In national-level male volleyball players, 8 weeks of running-based short sprint interval training improved jumping, sprint/change-of-direction performance, VO2max, and Wingate power in both groups; beta-alanine mainly added larger gains in vertical and horizontal jumps.

## Population

- Trained national-level male volleyball players.
- Sample size: 20
- Age: BA 24.6 +/- 2.5 years; placebo 23.8 +/- 2.7 years
- Sex: Male
- Fitness level: Trained athletes
- Health status: Apparently healthy and injury-free for lower-body participation

## Methodology

- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled longitudinal training study
- 8 weeks of training within a 10-week study period
- Volleyball academy court and laboratory testing
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Short sprint interval training plus beta-alanine.
- Modality: Running-based sprint intervals.
- Work intervals: 5 s all-out running effort.
- Recovery: 15 s between trials; 3 min self-paced rest between sets.
- Sets or repetitions: 4 sets of 10 efforts.
- Intensity: All-out.
- Session duration: About 17 min sprint block, performed before 80-90 min volleyball practice.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 8 weeks.
- Progression: No progression reported.
- Short sprint interval training plus placebo.
- Modality: Running-based sprint intervals.
- Work intervals: 5 s all-out running effort.
- Recovery: 15 s between trials; 3 min self-paced rest between sets.
- Sets or repetitions: 4 sets of 10 efforts.
- Intensity: All-out.
- Session duration: About 17 min sprint block, performed before 80-90 min volleyball practice.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 8 weeks.
- Progression: No progression reported.

## Outcomes

### Jumping
Status: improved
Both groups improved jump tests; beta-alanine produced greater vertical and horizontal jump changes.

BA vs placebo percent change p=0.01 for VJ and HJ.

### Sprint/COD
Status: improved
Both groups improved 10 m sprint and T-test performance.

Within-group p values ranged from 0.001 to 0.048.

### VO2max
Status: improved
Both groups significantly improved VO2max.

BA p=0.001; placebo p=0.006.

### Wingate power
Status: improved
Peak and average power improved in both groups.

PPO and APO improved within both groups; between-group differences were not significant.

## Practical Insights

- All-out 5 s running intervals can fit sport practice for trained athletes.
- Beta-alanine should be treated as a sport supplement variable, not as part of the exercise protocol.
- This workload is too aggressive to translate directly to general-population app users.

## Limitations

- Small sample
- Male volleyball athletes only
- No no-training control group
- Mechanistic measures such as lactate, blood pH, and EMG were not collected
- Regular volleyball training was a co-intervention

## Safety And Adherence

- No adverse events, injuries, or dropouts were reported.
- Participants were screened for lower-body injuries and supplement/drug use, and all training sessions were monitored by a specialized strength and conditioning coach.
- The article notes sustained-release beta-alanine was used to reduce paresthesia, but it did not report observed paresthesia rates.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39039103/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-67974-y) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11263668/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.