Category: metabolite
Aliases: β-Alanyl-L-histidine, L-Carnosine
β-Alanyl-L-histidine dipeptide, highly concentrated in fast-twitch skeletal muscle (~20–40 mmol/kg dry weight) and olfactory bulb. Intramuscular roles: proton buffer (pKa 6.83 — ideal for pH-drop during high-intensity contraction), reactive carbonyl / metal ion chelator, and pH-independent Ca²⁺ sensitiser in myofibrils. Orally, intact carnosine is rapidly cleaved by serum carnosinase (CN1/CNDP1) and tissue carnosinase (CN2) to β-alanine + histidine within minutes of absorption. Therefore oral carnosine itself is a poor way to raise muscle carnosine — oral β-alanine is the rate-limiting precursor and the evidence-based route.
PO: 0.02h