What is L-Glutamine?
L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue, and is involved in more metabolic processes than any other amino acid. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, comprising more than 60% of the free amino acid pool in skeletal muscle and greater than 20% of total circulating amino acids.
PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
Athletes supplement with L-Glutamine for a variety of reasons, such as:
• Building Muscle
A recent study showed that supplementing with just 2g of Glutamine, increased growth-hormone levels by four times. To this extent Glutamine is an excellent supplement for athletes participating in sports or events requiring strength and speed, or simply those looking to build muscle.
• Preventing Muscle Loss
During exercise Glutamine is 'stripped' from our muscles, which can lead to muscle loss or wasting. Consequently, anybody who undertakes exercise can benefit from supplementing with Glutamine due to its potential to reduce this breakdown of muscle-tissue. It has for example been used successfully in hospitals to prevent muscle wasting in the chronically ill. Glutamine also plays a vital role in protein synthesis, which is necessary for muscle growth and repair.
• Improving Recovery
Low levels of Glutamine are common in athletes who are overtraining. Overtraining results in poor performance, risk of infection and bad moods. In contrast, high levels of Glutamine help shuttle other vital amino acids into the muscle cells, and therefore improve recovery times of the user.
• Protects the immune system
Reduces the risk of infection and maintains immune system integrity when under extreme physical stress (such as strenuous exercise). athletes who train excessively may deplete their glutamine stores. This is because they are overusing their skeletal muscles, where much of the glutamine in the body is stored. Athletes who overstress their muscles (without adequate time for recovery between workouts) may be at increased risk for infection and often recover slowly from injuries.
On the brighter side evidence seems to indicate that Glutamine can possibly favor recovery in these ways:
• Improves muscle recovery from intense exercise
• Promotes protein synthesis
• Appears to be anti-catabolic
• Elevates growth hormone (HGH) levels
• Replenish glycogen levels
• Reduces recovery time
• Increases cell volume, leading to greater levels of protein synthesis
• Spares BCAA levels
• Improves conditions of the gastro-intestinal tract
• May help reduce cravings for - amongst other things - alcohol and refined sugar
• Muscle protection
• Helps nitrogen balance
• Improve nitrogen retention & protein synthesis
• Increase muscle cell volume
• Boost the immune system
HEALTH BENEFITS
Certain medical conditions, including injuries, surgery, infections, and prolonged stress, can deplete glutamine levels, however. In these cases, glutamine supplementation may be helpful.
• Maintain a Healthy Body
As mentioned previously, Glutamine is involved in more metabolic processes than any other amino acid. This is because it is needed in very large quantities to maintain the correct functioning of our immune system, liver, pancreas, kidneys, gallbladder, intestines and gut.
• Provide 'Brain Food'
Supplementing with Glutamine increases levels of Glutamic Acid in the body. Glutamic Acid is known as our main 'Brain Food'. It has also been shown that Glutamine has contributed to improving intelligence, and can enhance mental focus and mood.
• Prevent Illness and Infection
When we exercise our bodies suffer a large rise in the number of free-radicals, but a drop in the number of antioxidants available to fight them. This imbalance can lead to illness and infections, especially in very active individuals. Research has found that this risk of illness and infection appears to reduce in people with high levels of Glutamine; as a result it is often used in hospitals to both prevent infection and promote healing in burns victims.
• Wound Healing
When the body is stressed (such as from injuries, infections, burns, trauma, or surgical procedures), steroid hormones such as cortisol are released into the bloodstream. Elevated cortisol levels can deplete glutamine stores in the body. Since glutamine plays a key role in the immune system, a deficiency in this nutrient can significantly slow the healing process. Studies have shown that glutamine supplements enhance the immune system and reduce infections (particularly infections associated with surgery). Glutamine supplements may also aid in the recovery of severe burns.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Glutamine helps to protect the lining of the gastrointestinal tract known as the mucosa. Because of this, some experts speculate that glutamine deficiency may play a role in the development of IBD, namely ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These conditions are characterized by damage to the mucosal lining of the small and/or large intestines, which leads to inflammation, infection, and ulcerations (holes). In fact, some preliminary research suggests that glutamine may be a valuable supplement during treatment of IBD because it promotes healing of the cells in the intestines and improves diarrhea associated with IBD. Not all studies have found this positive benefit, however. For this reason, more research is needed before conclusions can be drawn. In the meantime, follow the advice of your healthcare provider when deciding whether to use glutamine for IBD.
• HIV/AIDS
Individuals with advanced stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) often experience severe weight loss (particularly loss of muscle mass). A few studies of individuals with HIV have demonstrated that glutamine supplementation, along with other important nutrients including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, selenium, and N-acetylcysteine, may reduce the severe weight loss associated with this condition.
• Obesity
Results from animal studies suggest that glutamine may help suppress appetite. Large-scale research trials of humans would be needed to determine if glutamine supplements are useful in treating obesity in people.
• Peritonitis
Glutamine supplementation has long been known to maintain the health of the mucosa (inner wall) of the gastrointestinal tract and inhibit muscle wasting in critically ill patients. Keeping the intestinal mucosa healthy helps prevent infections such as peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum, the thin membrane that lines the abdominal wall and covers most of the organs of the body). Animal studies indicate that a diet supplemented with glutamine may protect the lining of the intestine, inhibit the growth of bacteria, and improve survival rates in animals with peritonitis. Additional studies of people at high risk for peritonitis infection suggest that diets high in glutamine, arginine, and omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of infection by more than 50% and significantly shorten the length of hospital stay. These results are somewhat controversial, however, as the way that these supplements appear to work involves an inflammatory response in the peritoneum -- a reaction known to cause peritonitis. The bottom line is that in a hospital setting, a physician will determine if glutamine supplementation (generally given intravenously) is necessary in someone who is critically ill, particularly following surgery or trauma. This would be used, in part, to prevent or treat peritonitis.
• Cancer
Many people with cancer have abnormally low levels of glutamine. For this reason, some experts speculate that glutamine may prove to be a good addition to conventional treatment of cancer under certain conditions. In fact, nutritional support with supplemental glutamine is often used in malnourished cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments and sometimes used in patients undergoing bone marrow transplants. Glutamine is used to protect the lining of the small and large intestines from damage caused by chemotherapy or radiation. Glutamine may also protect against the development of mucositis (breakdown of the mucosal membranes of the mouth and nasal passages) caused by therapy for head and neck cancer.
• Other
Glutamine can aid in healing stomach ulcers and prevent inflammation of the stomach that is caused by chronic use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS).
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