Betaine

[Slims]

There seems to be a lot of conflicting studies in regards to the benefits of Betaine supplementation for muscle building.
So let's ask the "Real World" as in you, the people ,who actually use or have used Betaine.

Is Betaine a worthwhile supplement to take to help increase strength and improve muscle gains?

Thank You.

 

[ryane87]

I think it's worthwhile. The first time I used it was 10 years ago before it was a thing. It was in Green Magnitude by Controlled Labs. I used creatine before that, so I knew it wasn't just the creatine as I was already using it. It was the first time I noticed an OTC product giving me a boost.

I use SNS Betaine because it's cheap and high quality. 100 gram bottles, which last 40 days at the recommended 2.5 grams a day.

 

[mbonheur]

I buy it from a bulk supplier in the UK and it is cheap as chips if you buy a whole kg. I definitely think it is worth it

 

[Jiigzz]

There seems to be a lot of conflicting studies in regards to the benefits of Betaine supplementation for muscle building.
So let's ask the "Real World" as in you, the people ,who actually use or have used Betaine.

Is Betaine a worthwhile supplement to take to help increase strength and improve muscle gains?

Thank You.

I think so. It's cheap enough to add; even with some confliction

 

[Slims]

I think it's worthwhile. The first time I used it was 10 years ago before it was a thing. It was in Green Magnitude by Controlled Labs. I used creatine before that, so I knew it wasn't just the creatine as I was already using it. It was the first time I noticed an OTC product giving me a boost.

I use SNS Betaine because it's cheap and high quality. 100 gram bottles, which last 40 days at the recommended 2.5 grams a day.

I buy it from a bulk supplier in the UK and it is cheap as chips if you buy a whole kg. I definitely think it is worth it

I think so. It's cheap enough to add; even with some confliction

Is there any preferred type/form of Betaine that people use or has proven to be more effective than another?

 

[muscleupcrohn]

Is there any preferred type/form of Betaine that people use or has proven to be more effective than another?

Betaine anhydrous, not betaine HCL. Pretty much all supplements with betaine as an ergogen (often with creatine), use anhydrous, but it's possible to confuse the two in bulk or as standalones. I know that PowerMax XT, Ergonine, and Triumph all use betaine anhydrous, plus other goodies like creatine. For the ~$1/day it costs to get one of these "daily ergogenic staple" supplements, I say it's worth it. Yeah, it may be a bit cheaper to buy everything in bulk, but I like the convenience and the taste.

 

[Slims]

Betaine anhydrous, not betaine HCL. Pretty much all supplements with betaine as an ergogen (often with creatine), use anhydrous, but it's possible to confuse the two in bulk or as standalones. I know that PowerMax XT, Ergonine, and Triumph all use betaine anhydrous, plus other goodies like creatine. For the ~$1/day it costs to get one of these "daily ergogenic staple" supplements, I say it's worth it. Yeah, it may be a bit cheaper to buy everything in bulk, but I like the convenience and the taste.

I used to love Tr1umph when it was a reasonable price but over here in the UK it's £50.00 ($64.00) per 30 serving tub, which is £1.66 ($2.12) per serving.

 

[cubsfan815]

I used to love Tr1umph when it was a reasonable price but over here in the UK it's £50.00 ($64.00) per 30 serving tub, which is £1.66 ($2.12) per serving.

Powermax xt which was mentioned above is only £31.98 from what I saw. That is for a 30 day supply. The orange dream flavoring is great too.

 

[muscleupcrohn]

Powermax xt which was mentioned above is only £31.98 from what I saw. That is for a 30 day supply. The orange dream flavoring is great too.

I see it somewhere else for only £26.99, but I'm not see if I'm allowed to mention it here or not.

 

[banjobounce]

worst case scenario: you get some extra glycine in your diet as well as some methyl donations.

 

[AntM1564]

Betaine anhydrous, not betaine HCL. Pretty much all supplements with betaine as an ergogen (often with creatine), use anhydrous, but it's possible to confuse the two in bulk or as standalones. I know that PowerMax XT, Ergonine, and Triumph all use betaine anhydrous, plus other goodies like creatine. For the ~$1/day it costs to get one of these "daily ergogenic staple" supplements, I say it's worth it. Yeah, it may be a bit cheaper to buy everything in bulk, but I like the convenience and the taste.

This. Betaine is great and there is a reason why PowerMax XT and Ergonine contain this ingredient.

Bodybuilders who take a daily 2.5 g betaine [structural formula shown here] for six weeks will improve their body composition. Sports scientists from Coastal Carolina University draw this conclusion in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. But how betaine stimulates muscle build-up and fat breakdown at the same time remains a mystery.

http://www.ergo-log.com/betaine-gives-bodybuilders-more-muscle-and-less-fat.html

Athletes who take 2.5 g betaine daily and do intensive training increase their body's anabolic response to the workout. Sports scientists from the University of Connecticut write about the phenomenon in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

http://www.ergo-log.com/the-anabolic-effect-of-betaine.html

Arm CSA increased significantly (p < .05) in BET but not PL. No differences existed between group and time for changes in thigh CSA. Back squat training volume increased significantly (p < .05) for both groups throughout training. Bench press training volume was significantly (p < .05) improved for BET compared to PL at microcycles one and three. Body composition (BF%, FM, LBM) improved significantly (p < .05) in BET but not PL.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3844502/

Participants in a 2009 study took 1.25 grams of betaine per day for 14 days. Compared to participants who took a placebo, the members of the betaine group were able to do more reps, suggesting that betaine delays fatigue during high-intensity exercise.

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/top-4-supplements-for-getting-bigger-faster.html?mc****SM_FB_Nutrition

 

[Slims]

Would there be any benefit using a loading phase for Betaine, at something like 5g for the first week to obtain a saturation point? Or is it just as effective at a straight 2.5g per day from day one?

 

[muscleupcrohn]

Would there be any benefit using a loading phase for Betaine, at something like 5g for the first week to obtain a saturation point? Or is it just as effective at a straight 2.5g per day from day one?

I'd just stick to the standard 2.5g per day. Higher doses can give some people an upset stomach, and studies on betaine have observed benefits from ~2.5g/day betaine in as little as 7 days.

Betaine does seem to have an acute and dose dependent effect on serum betaine and plasma homocysteine concentrations in healthy humans (doses of 3g and 6g used in this study):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16365055
So I suppose you could go higher than the 2.5g if you wanted to, but it's not necessary, and you have to determine if it's worth the additional cost for you.

 

[Slims]

Considering how cheap it is in bulk powder form I might just go for the 5g per day for the first week.

Best case scenario-I get a faster build up and reap the benefits of the strength increases sooner.
Worst case scenario-I get a little bit of tummy upset and waste a few pennies.
Pros:Cons

 

[Comeuppance]

I was probably overdoing it at one point as my roommate notes I was beginning to smell fishy. Come to find out, that can happen.

It's in my Ergonine jar and I'm glad it is. I used to buy it in bulk and drop it into my pre as a separate ingredient, and it was certainly inexpensive. This was back when Powder City still existed, though I'm sure many bulk suppliers off and on the major retail sites have it for roughly the same price point.

Nowadays, I stick to blends because I just cannot adequately relate to you how tiresome getting 7-8 jars and bags on a table and measuring them out for a preworkout becomes. I got to a point where I realized the extra expense in a blend is reflected in an increase in quality of life.

Rant aside, aye, good stuff. Solid science behind it.

 

[MuscleResearch]

I've noticed significant benefit from Betaine myself.

One of the reasons we have 2g in each serving of Pump Juice.

 

[Slims]

How long was it before you started to notice the benefits?

 

[danielmoo]

I think it's worth it for the price. Can't speak for individual experience since I was taking it along with many other ingredients via Ergonine

 

[Slims]

I know it wasn't a solo run but I'm still interested to know your experiences with M-Test?