Glutamine has an important structural role, comprising
5-10% of amino acid residues in various proteins. Glutamine is a major vehicle for
the transfer of nitrogen between tissues. Maximum growth and proliferation of most
cell types occur with adequate glutamine stores. Dependence on glutamine for cellular
growth and function has been clearly demonstrated for intestinal mucosal cells and
cells of the immune system.1
Glutamine plays a key part with the branched chain amino acids (BCAA) in muscle
energy metabolism and the over training syndrome of athletes. Approximately, 55%
of glutamine taken up is oxidized via alpha-ketogluterate and the Kreb’s cycle to
form CO2 and a further 20% is incorporated into citrate, lactate, organic acids,
and glucose. Most glutamine is partly metabolized to form alanine and lactate. During
fever, surgery, and trauma muscle free glutamine concentrations fall. Adequate circulating
glutamine is needed for mucosal healing and muscle protein synthesis; therefore
glutamine may be considered “conditionally essential.” Studies suggest that providing
increased oral protein intake can replete muscle glutamine concentrations.2
The relative mild stress of weight training can result in a significant decline
in skeletal muscle free glutamine.3 Over training is associated with even greater
decreases in muscle glutamine and to somewhat lesser extent plasma glutamine concentrations.4
There is a higher rate of glutamine synthesis and release in skeletal muscle in
catabolic or weight loss states. Extensive animal studies have demonstrated that
declining glutamine levels are correlated with negative nitrogen balance, decreased
rates of protein synthesis and increased protein degradation. Therefore, the provision
of glutamine might have anabolic effects leading to improved tissue function. The
potential therapeutic use of glutamine as a nutrient in human beings has been investigated
in several recent studies. All of these studies compared nitrogen balance and all
found that the groups that received glutamine via TPN had greatly improved nitrogen
balance.
A large body of data in experimental animals and increasing data in human beings
indicate that glutamine supplemented nutrition can have significant therapeutic
benefit in the management of catabolic disease states.
What we have established is that glutamine is an anti-catabolic nutrient and secondly
that glutamine should be one of the essential or indispensable amino acids. Glutamine
is anti-catabolic because it may spare muscle tissue during stress. This means if
you’re a natural body builder, subjecting yourself to a certain amount of stress,
the body responds by producing cortisol. The cortisol then proceeds to breakdown
muscle tissue. This is one of the reasons why natural body builders have a difficult
time making muscular gains. So supplementing with glutamine would then impart muscle
sparing. In time the muscle that would have been lost is still there and eventually
will add up to muscular gains.
Another aspect of glutamine would be during the contest phase of bodybuilding. This
phase includes the stress of training coupled by the stress of the pre-contest diet
i.e. hypocaloric intake. The dieting bodybuilder is similar in comparison to the
malnourished or hypermetabolic patient. The main difference is that the bodybuilder
is performing heavy resistance type training in order to spare muscle mass. Glutamine
is more important to the dieting bodybuilder due to its anti-catabolic and muscle
sparing properties. Glutamine supplements during a dieting phase may cause muscle
sparing and fullness due to cellular volumizing.
Eclipse offers a pure free form L-glutamine powder and an advanced glutamine preservation
capsule referred to as Glutamine2. The exact amount of glutamine needed by bodybuilders
has not been scientifically established. The current data indicates ingesting 5-10
grams per day. It would also make sense to load on glutamine with 20 grams or 4
tsp. divided throughout the day for 5 days then maintain glutamine stores with 5-10
grams per day. The Glutamine2 cap offers a unique glutamine preserving action. This
capsule adds the glutamine precursor alpha ketoglutaric acid and glutamine cofactors
RNA and maganese. These substances enable the body to utilize glutamine more efficiently.
Glutamine should not only be considered a conditionally essential amino acid but
also a conditionally essential bodybuilding supplement.
Directions:
As a dietary supplement, take 4 heaping teaspoons divided throughout the day for
the first 5 days in order to load the muscle. As a maintenance dose use 1 to 2 teaspoons
per day. Then reload approximately every 2 months.
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