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# Maltodextrin, proline, alanine help maintain exercise performance
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/maltodextrin_proline_alanine_help_performance_0802140633/
- Published: 2014-08-02T19:33:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:27:12.000Z
- Description: Mice given maltodextrin plus L-proline and DL-alanine before running held higher blood sugar late in exercise and lasted longer before exhaustion than mice given maltodextrin alone. The authors conclude the combination helps endurance performance in mice.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Supplements, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Saturday Aug 2, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Drinking a glass of sugary beverage or some sugary supplements such as maltodextrin can help exercise endurance. A new study suggests that taking some amino acid supplements, namely, L-proline and DL-alanine may deliver a better performance.

Carbohydrate supplementation is important for prolonged exercise because it maintains blood sugar levels for a late stage of exercise. The study shows that animals taking carbohydrate supplements along with L-proline and DL-alanine exercised for a longer time before they became exhausted, compared with those taking carbohydrate supplements only.

 In the study, male mice were orally administered either maltodextrin (carbohydrate supplement) in a dose of 1.25 g per kg or maltodextrin plus alanine and proline in a dose of 1.0 g per kg, 0.225 g per kg and 0.025 g per kg, respectively, 15 minutes before running for 170 minutes.

Combinational supplementation with maltodextrin, alanine, and proline induced higher serum sugar levels, compared to isocaloric maltodextrin alone during the late stage of exercise.

For a treadmill running test, mice were supplemented with maltodextrin in a dose of 2.0 g per kg or maltodexin in a dose of 1.0 per kg plus 0.9 g of alanine and 0.1 g of proline per kg.

The test results show that mice receiving the combinational supplementation with maltodextrin, alanine, and proline increased running time to exhaustion, compared with those given maltodextrin only.

The study concludes "These results indicate that combined supplementation of carbohydrate, alanine, and proline is effective for maintaining blood glucose and hepatic glycogen levels and increasing endurance performance during long-term exercise in mice."

It should be noted that DL-alanine is synthetic. Those who want to try alanine supplements should buy L-alanine. (David Liu)

Nogusa Y, Mizugaki A, Hirabayashi-Osada Y, Furuta C, Ohyama K, Suzuki K, Kobayashi H. Combined Supplementation of Carbohydrate, Alanine, and Proline Is Effective in Maintaining Blood Glucose and Increasing Endurance Performance during Long-Term Exercise in Mice. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2014;60(3):188-93.