Although only recently brought to the forefront in the sport supplements industry, beta-alanine was discovered over 100 years ago. Also known as 3-aminopropanoic acid, beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid and is the only naturally occurring beta-amino acid.
Not to be confused with alanine, beta-alanine is classified as a non-proteinogenic amino acid as it is not used in the building of proteins.
The greatest sources of the natural dietary supplement beta-alanine are believed to be obtained through ingesting the beta-alanine containing dipeptides: carnosine, anserine and balenine, rather than directly ingesting beta-alanine. These dipeptides are commonly found in protein rich foods such as chicken, beef, pork and fish.