Is Glutamine an Effective Supplement?

As an active fitness enthusiast, and the owner of BodySupps.com.au, people have asked me questions about glutamine, like “Is glutamine an effective supplement?”, or “what kind of results can one expect from glutamine?”, and of course “what glutamine products would you recommend”. Well I would like to try and answer some of these question put forward to me about glutamine.

What is glutamine?

First of all, I think it is important to define what glutamine is and what its expected or proposed benefits are. Glutamine is an glucogenic (production of glucose), nonessential amino acid that can be synthesized within the tissues of the body, with skeletal muscle and liver being the most quantitatively important producers.(1) Glutamine used in the synthesis of protein and thus supports the production of muscle, it also supports and regulates the immune system, it is an alternative fuel source for the brain and it also supports and regulates the dietary system. Glutamine, at some times it forms 60 percent of your total amino acid pool. Because it passes through the blood-brain barrier rather easily it’s often called brain-food.

That is quite a definition; basically glutamine is used in the production of muscle and synthesized or made in our body. Glutamine is also an easily attainable amino acid and can be found in almost all major food sources that are also rich in protein. For instance, foods such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, cabbage, beets, and bean are rich in glutamine.

Is glutamine an effective supplement?

Now, the question of whether glutamine is an effective supplement. Glutamine is thought to aid memory recall and concentration, as in the brain, it is converted to glutamic acid, which is essential for brain functioning and increase GABA (gamma-amino-butyric-acid, another popular supplemented amino) needed or mental activities. It is used in synthesis of muscle-tissue.

To make big gains in muscle mass, we need nitrogen. But too much nitrogen in the body could cause ammonia in the brain. Glutamine helps to get rid of it by attaching itself to the nitrogen and forming glutamic acid, and then it is removed from the body.

About 60% of the free-floating amino acids in the muscle tissue are glutamine. The muscles act as a primary storage area for this substance. Glutamine breaks down in response to energy demands into glutamic acid by throwing off ammonia, and glutamic acid breaks down into alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) by throwing off another ammonia molecule.

If you are dieting, Glutamine does decrease the craving for sweets. A metabolite of glutamine, Monosodium Glutamine (MSG), is used as a flavour enhancer for other products such as meat, fish and vegetables.

The Low-Down on Glutamine Supplementation - Part 2

Glutamine has the downside of being more readily used as fuel for energy than some simple carbs. It is one of the preferred fuels of the intestines for example and a good source of energy throughout the body. So chances are the more glutamine you have will not be used for what you intended this supplement to be used for.

Heavy exercise can deplete glutamine stores by 40% or more, and this is where things get interesting. Decreased glutamine levels impact enormously on immune system functioning. In fact one of the big causes of overtraining syndrome is glutamine depletion and the accompanying suppression of the immune system. Additionally, lack of glutamine means lack of ATP so your energy levels and endurance will be lowered as well.

So, is glutamine a bad supplement? No. It’s one of the best supplements currently on the market. Glutamine sweeps ammonia from the brain and other organs, regulates blood PH, is involved in immune function and antioxidant production, is a major component of muscle tissue and metabolism, and may be the most important aid to recuperation you can buy over-the-counter.

What dose of Glutamine should I take and How often?

The best time to dose would be right after a workout when your muscles are most depleted. Glutamine doesn’t mix too well with water but its texture is extremely fine and it has no flavour so just dump it into a glass, mix it up and swallow it down.

The tissues of the digestive system use most of the glutamine you ingest. The glutamine is taken up by the lining of the gut and used as fuel for its energy requirements. This is a normal aspect of body metabolism and begs the question of how much glutamine is getting into the bloodstream and hence to the muscle.

Some people suggest using 2 doses right after a workout, while others, especially if you have a heavy training schedule or are competing, claim to get more benefit by using more than 2 doses. In some cases, depending on the training, some prefer 5 doses of 5-7 grams, but that is a personal choice and dependant on your training. Keep in mind that glutamine is expensive.

What glutamine products do you recommend?

BodySupps has a selection of some high quality glutamine products from International Protein, AST, RedBak. Please visit the BodySupps website at http://www.bodysupps.com.au and select the L-Glutamine under category for the L-Glutamine products available.

In summary, except for BCAAs, nonessential amino acids, such as glutamine, should only be used only in phases of heavy weight training or during dieting for competition.

Don’t forget: Train Hard :: Feel Great!

References

1. J Appl Physiol 86:1770-1777, 1999. J. L. Bowtell, K. Gelly, M. L. Jackman, A. Patel, M. Simeoni and M. J. Rennie.
2. The Emerging Role of Glutamine as an Indicator of Exercise Stress and Overtraining, by Rowbottom, Keast, Morton Sports Med. 21 (2):80-97 1996 Feb.
3. Depression of Plasma Glutamine Concentration After Exercise Stress and Its Possible Influence on the Immune System, by Keast, Arstein, Harper, Fry, Morton Med J. Aust, 162 (1):15-8 1995 Jan 2