PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jana De Brandt
AU  - Wim Derave
AU  - Frank Vandenabeele
AU  - Joseph Aumann
AU  - Laura Blancquaert
AU  - Inge Everaert
AU  - Martijn Spruit
TI  - Effect of oral beta-alanine supplementation on muscle carnosine in patients with COPD: A double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2020.4748
DP  - 2020 Sep 07
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 4748
VI  - 56
IP  - suppl 64
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/4748.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/4748.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2020 Sep 07; 56
AB  - Background: Patients with COPD suffer from elevated levels of exercise-induced muscle oxidative stress and lactate. A strategy to improve this dysfunction may be oral beta-alanine (BA) supplementation, which increases muscle carnosine (mCAR), an antioxidant and pH-buffer. This study aimed to investigate safety and efficacy of oral BA supplementation to increase mCAR in patients with COPD.Methods: A double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial (NCT02770417) was performed. Forty patients with COPD (65±6 y; 75% male; 55±14 FEV1%pred) were randomly assigned to either 12 weeks oral BA or placebo (PL). Biopsy of m. vastus lateralis was obtained before and after the intervention and mCAR was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography. Linear mixed model analysis was performed. Compliance based on pill count and personal diary, and safety of supplement intake were also assessed.Results: Compliance was similar in BA (median (Q1–Q3), 100 (98–100)%) and PL (98 (96–100)%). Except for minor gastrointestinal problems, which were similar in BA and PL (38% and 47% respectively), patients did not report severe complaints possibly related to supplement intake. Oral BA supplementation increased mCAR (pre: mean [95% CI], 4.25 [3.41–5.09]; post: 6.56 [5.52–7.60] mmol/kg wet weight) versus PL (pre: 4.06 [3.18–4.94]; post: 3.57 [2.51–4.63] mmol/kg wet weight) (P<0.001).Conclusion: Generally, oral BA supplementation is safe and increases mCAR with 54% of baseline values in patients with COPD. Whether this increase in mCAR leads to scavenging of muscle oxidative stress and later onset of lactate formation will be elucidated in the future.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 4748.This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).