Betaine
Betaine (trimethylglycine) supports cellular hydration and can improve strength and power output. It is often combined with creatine.
Clinical dosage
Origin
NaturalBetaine (trimethylglycine) is found in beets, spinach, quinoa, and wheat germ. Named after the Latin name for beets (Beta vulgaris). In supplements from beets or synthetic.
Safety
Safe at 1.5-2.5g per day. Helps with strength and power output. No significant side effects reported in clinical studies.
For comparison
100g of beets contains about 250mg of betaine. For a sports dose (2.5g) you'd need to eat 1 kilo of beets. Not impossible, but a supplement is more convenient.
Dosage by weight and gender
The effective betaine dose for sports performance is 2.5g per day, split into 2 servings of 1.25g (Cholewa et al., 2014). Body weight does not affect the optimal dose. There are no relevant differences between men and women. The effect builds up over 2 weeks of daily use. The 2.5g dose is based on clinical studies on strength and power output.
Frequently asked questions
What is betaine?▼
Betaine (trimethylglycine) is a substance naturally found in beets. It helps with strength and power output and plays a role in cell hydration. In pre-workouts it's used for better performance during heavy sets.
Is betaine dangerous?▼
No, betaine is safe at the typical sports dose of 2.5g per day. It occurs in many foods and no significant side effects have been reported in clinical research.
How much betaine per day?▼
Take 2.5g betaine per day, preferably split into 2 servings. Timing doesn't matter much. Most pre-workouts contain 1-2.5g per scoop.
Scientific sources
The clinical dosages on this page are based on peer-reviewed research.
- Betaine supplementation enhances anabolic endocrine and Akt signaling in response to acute bouts of exerciseApicella JM et al. — Eur J Appl Physiol (2013)
Pre-workouts with Betaine
No products found with this ingredient