Alanine is a non-essential amino acid that the body can make itself and that plays a role mainly in energy metabolism. Through the so-called alanine cycle, nitrogen is transported from the muscles to the liver and used there, among other things, to form glucose, which can become relevant especially during prolonged physical exertion.
In food, alanine is found in many protein-rich foods, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Alanine should not be confused with beta-alanine, a related but differently acting compound that is considered separately in sport.
Relevance for nutrition and sport
Through the alanine cycle, this amino acid contributes to providing energy during prolonged physical effort by taking part in new glucose formation in the liver. For most physically active people, this process is part of normal metabolism, without any need for targeted alanine supplementation.
A balanced, protein-rich diet usually covers the alanine requirement sufficiently. Anyone interested in the related but differently acting substance beta-alanine will find a separate assessment in the guide beta-alanine. The two substances should be clearly kept apart in terminology, as they take on different tasks in metabolism.
