Tested with world-class athletes.

The test

Each player completed the same demanding sprint test twice, a week apart: once after applying a topical carnosine gel and once after applying a look-alike placebo gel. The test was 12 repeated all-out sprints on a bike, with a short break halfway, built to mimic the stop-start effort of a rugby sevens match.

The study was triple-blind: the players, the people running the test and the analysts did not know which gel was which until the results were in.

The results

With the carnosine gel, the players produced more peak power. Overall, the difference between the two gels was statistically significant, and the biggest gains came in sprints 2, 4 and 7.

That's up to 156 extra watts of peak power, at the level of athletes who are already among the fittest in the world, where small gains are hard to find.

Why it matters

Carnosine is found naturally in muscle, where it helps buffer the acid that builds up during intense effort. Taking it by mouth means it first has to pass through your digestive system. Applying it to the skin is a faster, simpler route, and this study shows the approach working with elite athletes.

Carnosine levels also fall with age: by as much as 63% between ages 10 and 70. Research confirms that older adults have less muscle carnosine than younger people.

What comes next

The researchers called for further studies, including measuring how much carnosine reaches the muscle after applying the gel, and testing women and non-elite athletes.

Sources

1. Beaven CM, James C, McMaster DT, Brockelbank N. Topical carnosine gel improves intermittent high-intensity exercise performance in world-class rugby sevens players. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025.
2. Everaert I, et al. Vegetarianism, female gender and increasing age, but not CNDP1 genotype, are associated with reduced muscle carnosine levels in humans. Amino Acids. 2011.
3. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12624000799550.