Each week in my Research Update, I distill the latest sports science research into practical insights to help you improve your training, performance, and recovery.
In this week's update:
- The limits of where beta-alanine improves performance
- Creatine’s role in protecting brain function under bodily stress
-
How and when to use tart cherry supplementation in your routine
Beta-Alanine Doesn’t Improve Repeated Sprint Ability
This review analyzed 17 randomized controlled trials to determine whether taking 3.2–6.4g of beta alanine per day improved repeated sprint ability. There was no meaningful improvement in mean sprint performance, peak sprint performance, or fatigue decrement; and no dose-response relationship was found, meaning more wasn't better either.
Beta-alanine raises muscle carnosine levels, which buffers the hydrogen ions produced during sustained anaerobic glycolysis, but repeated short sprints are governed primarily by the phosphocreatine energy system, not lactic acid buildup. That buffering benefit becomes relevant in longer, high-intensity efforts lasting several minutes, not all-out sprints under 30 seconds.
My thoughts: We sell Beta Alanine, so this matters: science first. Sprinting relies heavily on the phosphocreatine system early on, so lactic acid buildup isn’t the main limiter. Beta-alanine shines in longer, high-intensity efforts. Think a 400m run, 500m row, HYROX station, or CrossFit workout where you're working hard for minutes at a time, not under 20 seconds. Make sure you’re using it when it actually works.
Creatine Supports Brain Function Under Sleep Deprivation
This study tested whether a single, moderate dose of creatine could reduce the cognitive decline associated with sleep deprivation. Twenty-nine healthy subjects received either a single oral dose of creatine monohydrate (0.2g/kg of body weight) or a placebo during 21 hours of total sleep deprivation.
The creatine group showed better logical and numerical reasoning, language-related processing speed, and sustained attention. Short-term memory improvements appeared more dose-dependent and were less pronounced at this lower dose than in the same group's earlier study using 0.35g/kg, but the protective effect on reasoning and attention was clear.
My thoughts: This is another study pushing back on the recently resurfaced “you need 10 g/day for your brain” narrative. Creatine taken consistently over time will saturate tissues. One-off doses don’t fully saturate tissues, but they can still have short-term effects like this. The idea that you need high daily doses for brain benefits doesn’t hold up. Please ignore the influencers telling you otherwise.
Timing Matters for Your Tart Cherry Juice Supplementation
This study examined the evidence for tart cherry juice supplementation as a recovery aid and proposed a practical framework for athletes to monitor its use. The most consistent finding was reduced muscle soreness and improved perceptual recovery in the first 24–72 hours post-exercise.
Strength and power recovery showed some benefit, but were more variable and exercise-model dependent. Biochemical markers like creatine kinase (CK) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were inconsistent and often didn't map onto functional improvements. The review also cautions that because oxidative signals from exercise play a role in triggering adaptation, chronic daily supplementation may blunt long-term performance development, although direct evidence for this specific to tart cherry remains limited.
The authors recommend using tart cherry juice in targeted blocks around high-demand periods rather than as a daily habit, and monitoring soreness, output quality, and session completion to gauge whether it's actually working.
My thoughts: Tart cherry juice is moving from an interesting ingredient to a genuine recovery tool. The key message here is that context matters. It’s not something you need after every easy session, but around races, heavy training blocks, or back-to-back hard days it can be very useful. That’s exactly where a product like Beet It Regen Cherry+ fits: targeted recovery support when recovery actually matters most.
That’s all for this week.
If you learned something new and are curious to know more, check out more articles and my growing list of weekly Blonyx Research Updates where I help you further improve your athletic performance by keeping you up to date on the latest findings from the world of sports science.
— That's all for now, train hard!
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