Why do athletes need glutamine?

Why do athletes need glutamine?

L-glutamine is one of the most used supplements by professional and amateur bodybuilding enthusiasts, which has taken an honourable and unshakable place next to protein or creatine. Prevents the breakdown of muscles [1] and, conversely, promotes their growth [2], suppresses anabolic processes, strengthens the immune system [3] and the efficient use of glycogen stores [4]. This is just a small selection of its many positive qualities. 

 

What is GLUTAMINE?

Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, which means that the body can produce it itself. Three-fifths of its total amount can be found in skeletal muscle, the rest in the lungs, liver, brain, and stomach. More than 60 percent of freely available amino acids occur in the body as a form of glutamine, and under normal conditions, our body is able to provide this amount without any problems. However, if the body gets stressed, the glutamine reserves run relatively quickly and these losses need to be compensated in some way - at this point, glutamine comes into play in the form of one of the supplements [5, 6]. Moreover, as one of the few, it has no demonstrable side effects [7].


WHY DO WE NEED GLUTAMINE?

Intense exercise puts a burden on our immune system, increases the amount of lactic acid and ammonia in the body. During the first five minutes after the begin of exercise, the level of glutamine in the blood increases, which is gradually released from the reserves, and at the same time catabolic hormones are formed to an enhanced extent, which raises the consumption of glutamine. In general, we can say that the harder we train, the faster glutamine is lost, and the greater its losses, i.e. deficiencies in our body. Why does glutamine disappear so fast? Because the amount of glutamine depends on the hydration of muscle cells. During exercise, the water in the cells rapidly washes away and their setting changes from anabolism to catabolism. Research confirms that catabolism leads to a decrease in glutamine levels by more than 50 percent of its original amount [2, 3, 8]. Of course, not only exercise is one of the stress stimuli that more or less burdens our body. We must not forget injuries, infections, or a weakened immune system. All this has a significant effect on glutamine management. 


WHAT DOES SCIENCE SAY ABOUT GLUTAMINE?

One recent study of the effects of glutamine on the human immune system has shown that this amino acid helps fight a large number of viral or bacterial infections by accelerating the production of cells that fight it - white blood cells, specifically T- and B-lymphocytes. which use glutamine as their primary fuel for propulsion [7]. This, of course, is the other way around - low glutamine levels lead to an increased susceptibility to infections [2].

In another study, the researchers looked at the effect of glutamine on the production of glucose, a glycogen. Glutamine has been shown to be an important precursor of gluconeogenesis (the process by which carbohydrates are formed from non-saccharide substances - amino acids, glycerol, lactate, etc.), autonomously of the production of the hormones insulin and glucagon [9]. This has a significant effect, particularly in situations where blood insulin is at its minimum [10, 11]. For example, in type 1 diabetics who rely on the supply of artificial insulin via insulin pens or pumps, where the levels of this exceedingly important hormone fluctuate more than in a person whose pancreatic cells function as they should.


HOW MUCH GLUTAMINE DO WE NEED?

Research recommends a daily intake of glutamine in a wide range from 2 to 40 grams. While 2 or 3 grams help to incorporate the ingested proteins into cells and regenerate and build muscle tissue, higher doses find their application in medicine. It is recommended that 20 grams of glutamine be taken daily for patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease - ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. A double dose, in turn, for HIV patients, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, or people recovering from extensive burns [12]. 

When it comes to timing, it is recommended to consume glutamine either just before bedtime or shortly after waking up (i.e. 6-8 hours after eating). Glutamine is found not only in free form as a separate supplement, but also in bound form as part of amino acid tablets, flavoured powder substances, powder proteins or peptides. It's up to you to choose. It is important that you are satisfied and that you have enough glutamine in your body. As you may have read, this is particularly important, especially if you are an active exerciser. 

 

SOURCES

  1. Lacey JM, Wilmore DW. Is glutamine a conditionally essential amino acid? Nutr Rev. 1990;48:297-309.

  2. Castell LM, Poortmans JR, Newsholme EA. Does glutamine have a role in reducing infections in athletes? Eur J Appl Physiol. 1996;73:488-90.

  3. Antonio J, Street C. Glutamine: a potentially useful supplement for athletes. Can J Appl Physiol. 1999;24:1-14.

  4. Groff J, Gropper S, Hunt S. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism Second Edition. St. Paul, MN:West Publishing Company.1995.

  5. Palmer TE, Griffiths RD, Jones C. Effect of parenteral L-glutamine on muscle in the very severely ill. Nutrition. 1996;12:316-20.

  6. Castell LM, Poortmans JR, Newsholme EA. Does glutamine have a role in reducing infections in athletes? European Journal of Applied Physiology(1996) 73: 488-490.

  7. Hankard RG, Haymond MW, Darmaun D. Effect of glutamine on leucine metabolism in humans. Am J Physiol. 1996;271:E748-54.

  8. 1997-2003 by Quest For Anabolic Conditioning (QFAC) Bodybuilding

  9. Castell LM, Poortmans JR, Leclercq R, Brasseur M, Duchateau J, Newsholme EA. Some aspects of the acute phase response after a marathon race, and the effects of glutamine supplementation. Eur J Appl. Physiol. 1997;75:47-53.

  10. Varnier M, Leese GP, Thompson J, Rennie MJ. Stimulatory effect of glutamine on glycogen accumulation in human skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol. 1995;269:E309-15.

  11. Perriello G, Nurjhan N, Stumvoll M, Bucci A, Welle S, Dailey G, Bier DM, Toft I, Jenssen TG, Gerich JE. Regulation of gluconeogenesis by glutamine in normal postabsorptive humans. Am J Physiol. 1997;272:E437-45.

  12. Kuhn, K., K. Schuhmann, P. Stehle, D. Darmaun, P. Furst. Determination of glutamine in muscle protein facilitates accurate assessment of proteolysis and de novo synthesis--derived endogenous glutamine production. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 70, No. 4, 484-489, October 1999.

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