I know a few musicians (oboists and non-oboists) that take betas on a regular basis for a variety of reasons and situations. One takes them for auditions only, one takes them everyday for heart palpitations, and several take them for scary performances.

I’ve never tried them for a few reasons, on which I invite discussion:
1. The addiction factor: A person can start taking them just for auditions, then for performances, then get so addicted that they “need” them even for rehearsals.
2. The chemical factor: As a person with very low blood pressure, I’m scared to take any drugs that are going to slow things down even more.
3. The physical factor: I feel like by working out, I can keep my resting heart rate low enough to keep the lid on most nerves.
4. Aren’t a little nerves a good thing? I think negating nerves can almost negate the emotional response of the player to the music,

Having never tried betas, I can’t argue the flip side–I’d love to hear some beta-takers’ thoughts!