How much L-glutamine

[beefcurry1]

Im about to start taking L-glutamine and i was wondering how much of it i should take and when. i have never taken it before nor have i ever been around anyone who did so any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Lee J B]

after workout, and about 5g a time, you can take it more than that a day but dont really need to i dont think.

[galileo]

I would take none, since most studies have proven it to have a negative benefit to cost ratio.

[Sophos9]

First thing to check is if you use creatine that it is not included in it, if so - you're covered.

One of the benefits of glutamine is recovery. Urinary excreation of 3-methlhistidine, the biochemical marker used to measure the amount of muscle damage is decreased with glutamine supplementation.

Another study also showed a four-fold increase in blood levels of GH an hour after taking only 2 grams!!

But....

As Danugi said, its damn expensive.

Dave

[galileo]

Provide me the blood GH study. Make sure it was in humans that excersized.

[galileo]

GLUTAMINE: Resistance training
Candow, D.G., P.D. Chilibeck, D.G. Burke, and K.S. Davison. Effect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training. Can J Appl Physiol. 25(5): 363, 2000.


(1) College of Kinesiology, 105 Gymnasium Place, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7 N 5C2
(2) Department of Human Kinetics, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2G 2W5
(3) Department of Chemistry, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2G 2W5

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of oral glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young adults. A group of 31 subjects, aged 18-24 years, were randomly allocated to groups (double blind) to receive either glutamine (0.9 g·kg lean tissue mass-1·day-1; n=17) or a placebo (0.9 g maltodextrin·kg lean tissue mass-1·day-1; n=14) during 6 weeks of total body resistance training. Exercises were performed for four to five sets of 6-12 repetitions at intensities ranging from 60% to 90% 1 repetition maximum (1 RM). Before and after training, measurements were taken of 1 RM squat and bench press strength, peak knee extension torque (using an isokinetic dynamometer), lean tissue mass (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) and muscle protein degradation (urinary 3-methylhistidine by high performance liquid chromatography). Repeated measures ANOVA showed that strength, torque, lean tissue mass and 3-methylhistidine increased with training (P<0.05), with no significant difference between groups. Both groups increased their 1 RM squat by approximately 30% and 1 RM bench press by approximately 14%. The glutamine group showed increases of 6% for knee extension torque, 2% for lean tissue mass and 41% for urinary levels of 3-methylhistidine. The placebo group increased knee extension torque by 5%, lean tissue mass by 1.7% and 3-methylhistidine by 56%. We conclude that glutamine supplementation during resistance training has no significant effect on muscle performance, body composition or muscle protein degradation in young healthy adults.

[Sophos9]

Growth hormone. Injections of growth hormone increase glutamine (Parry-Billings et al., 1992). In turn, glutamine supplements increase growth hormone (Welbourne, 1995). Because growth hormone builds muscle tissue, this is one more reason that decreased glutamine would slow recovery. Also, this is a vicious circle -- decreased glutamine decreases growth hormone, which in turn decreases glutamine.

Welbourne TC. Increased plasma bicarbonate and growth hormone after an oral glutamine load. Am J Clin Nutr 1995 May;61(5):1058-1061.

[Steve]

"We conclude that glutamine supplementation during resistance training has no significant effect on muscle performance, body composition or muscle protein degradation in young healthy adults."

That's why I stopped using it ages ago.

In my humble opinion..stay with Creatine, Vitamins, Protein and Tribulus..and the occasional Winny.

Steve

[galileo]

I see no actual figures of blood levels in that study.

I found this
'An oral glutamine load was administered to nine healthy subjects to determine the effect on plasma glutamine, bicarbonate, and circulating growth hormone concentrations. Two grams glutamine were dissolved in a cola drink and ingested over a 20-min period 45 min after a light breakfast. Forearm venous blood samples were obtained at zero time and at 30-min intervals for 90 min and compared with time controls obtained 1 wk earlier. Eight of nine subjects responded to the oral glutamine load with an increase in plasma glutamine at 30 and 60 min before returning to the control value at 90 min. Ninety minutes after the glutamine administration load both plasma bicarbonate concentration and circulating plasma growth hormone concentration were elevated. These findings demonstrate that a surprisingly small oral glutamine load is capable of elevating alkaline reserves as well as plasma growth hormone.'

...which is the same study, but there was no control group mentioned and there is 0 resistance training.

[Sophos9]

How long can a glutamine deficiency last? One study (Keast et al., 1995) had five athletes exercise strenuously for 10 days. All showed decreasing levels of glutamine across the days of the experiment. This suggests that the athletes were using glutamine faster than they could replace it. After 6 days of rest, 2 athletes still had not returned to the pre-exercise levels of glutamine!

For several reasons, a glutamine deficiency would impair recovery from training.

Muscle catabolism. The body has some free sources of glutamine, such as the free glutamine in the muscles. When these sources run out, the body catabolizes (breaks down) muscle to make more glutamine. Some have suggested that this is the primary reason for muscle loss following major surgery and illness. Providing major supplements of glutamine following major surgery greatly reduces the amount of muscle wasting (e.g., Biolo, et al., 1997).

Muscle catabolism can be avoided (at least somewhat) by exercising the muscle (Falduto, Young, & Hickson, 1992). It is possible that that non-exercised muscle (e.g., arms) will be catabolized first. (Is this why runners tend to have weak arms?)

Muscle building. Glutamine is needed to build cells. Even if there is not enough deficiency for muscle catabolism, there might be enough deficiency so that your muscles are not repaired from the damages of training.

Glycogen stores. Studies have found that glutamine increases the muscles' uptake of glycogen after exercise (Varnier et al., 1995, and the production of glycogen in the liver (Lavoinne, Baquet, & Hue, 1987). However, these effects might be caused just by the fact that glutamine can be a source of glucose. In the latter study, glutamine had little effect when glucose levels were high. Another study found that glutamine had no effect on muscle glycogen when adequate glucose was present (van Hall, 1996),

Keast D, Arstein D, Harper W, Fry RW, Morton AR. Depression of plasma glutamine concentration after exercise stress and its possible
influence on the immune system. Med J Aust 1995 Jan 2;162(1):15-18.

Biolo G, Toigo G, Ciocchi B, Situlin R, Iscra F, Gullo A, Guarnieri G. Metabolic response to injury and sepsis: changes in protein metabolism. Nutrition 1997 Sep;13(9 Suppl):52S-57S.

Falduto MT, Young AP, Hickson RC. Exercise interrupts ongoing glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy and glutamine synthetase induction. Am J Physiol 1992 Dec;263(6 Pt 1):E1157-E1163.

Lavoinne A, Baquet A, Hue L. Stimulation of glycogen synthesis and lipogenesis by glutamine in isolated rat hepatocytes. Biochem J 1987 Dec 1;248(2):429-437

Varnier M, Leese GP, Thompson J, Rennie MJ. Stimulatory effect of glutamine on glycogen accumulation in human skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol 1995 Aug;269(2 Pt 1):E309-E315.

van Hall, G. Amino acids, ammonia and exercise in man. Thesis, Rijksuniversiteit Limburg Maastricht, The Netherlands., 1996

[galileo]

Sophos did you actually read any of that before you posted it?

[Sophos9]

Of course, I hand picked all the good bits - why do you ask??

Dave

[Lee J B]

lol

[galileo]

Because #1, those are "interpreted" version of the studies. #2 the second long post is half conjecture!

If a study has shown that glutamine does NOT enhance performance and 2 studies show it "might" because GH levels are sometimes (8/9) increased, which will you believe?

It's your money to waste not mine!

[Sophos9]

You points are true Danugi and i did say I agree with you @ the expense but at the very least, given the safety of glutamine and its possible benefits, does it not make sense to experiment with it??