Post by Thinkbig on Nov 30, 2004 18:57:54 GMT -5
Ok, so after str8flexed shared his thoughts on Glutamine, I was compelled to re-research what I know/knew and look for new info as well.
Glutamine
Information on the Oxford Nutrition Parenteral and Enteral Glutamine Literature service:[/u]
Following the publication in 1991 of research originating from Oxford Nutrition, the stability of L-glutamine (‘a conditionally essential amino acid’) in parenteral and enteral mixtures has been well defined. Ten years of stability data (McElroy et al BAPEN 2000) and more than 30,000 patient days experience with a 2.5% L-glutamine solution (manufactured for Oxford Nutrition as a ‘special’) have now been recorded. Clinical experience with l-glutamine in other centres has confirmed improved outcome with a decrease in infections (Griffiths et al, Nutrition 1997) and a significant reduction in hospital length of stay and cost for surgical patients. (Powell-Tuck et al, Gut 1999).
Glutamine in Sports
Short-term ingestion of glutamine does not enhance weightlifting performance in resistance-trained men.
Heavy exercise induces impairment of lymphocyte function. Ten male athletes participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study. Each athlete performed bicycle exercise for 2 h at 75% of maximum O(2) consumption on 2 separate days. Glutamine or placebo supplements were given orally during and up to 2 hours post-exercise. Most lymphocyte subpopulations decreased 2 h after exercise. Glutamine supplementation abolished the post-exercise decline in plasma glutamine concentration but had no effect on lymphocyte trafficking, Natural killer cell activities, T cell proliferation, catecholamines, growth hormone, insulin, or glucose. This study does not support the idea that glutamine plays a mechanistic role in exercise-induced immune changes.
The combination of glutamine and creatine increases muscle mass and power
There are many studies on critically ill patients and supplemental glutamine. Those studies have shown maintenance of muscle mass and improved immune sytem. There are several studies that have also shown good effect on the gut.
For our purposes however this does little, as we are otherwise healthy functioning individuals.
There are several claims that glutamine "works like creatine" in that it increases intracellular volume of muscle cells. The hypothesis is that glutamine promotes increases in cellular volume and osmolarity as a result of an insulin and sodium dependent transport system. That increased cellular swelling is suggested to start an anabolic proliferative signal and the muscle cell will grow (ref. 1, 5, 6). Tarnopolsky et al have shown many years ago, that glutamine supplementation may have an effect on muscle protein levels (ref. 8). Others also claims it improves immune system in healthy adults.
Candow (ref. 3) et al studied glutamine supplementation in resistance training young adults. 31 subjects were divided in 2 groups. One group recieved glutamine ( 0.9 g / kg lean tissue mass) and the other group recieved maltodextrin ( 0.9 g / kg lean tissue mass). Before and after, 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) of squats, bench press and peak knee extension were measured. Measurements of lean tissue mass and urinary measurements of muscle degradation were also made. The strength training program consisted for 6 weeks. The study showed that strength training increased (of course) strength and lean tissue mass. The study could not show any differences between the groups. That means that glutamine supplementation failed to show any additional effects on strength and lean body mass in this study.
I truthfully think we are seeing a pattern here, much like Layne has said: "of course you will see a increase in LBM. when given glutamine on a regular diet as compared to placebo" ecause what we keep missing is one huge point, GLUTAMINE IS AN AMINO ACID, it will increase muscle more than maltodextrin/placebo, amino acids are needed after weight training to repiair and form new muscle tissue.
Do high doses of glutamine really help you build more muscle?
So the question here becomes, does Glutamine have a benefit for a Bodybuilder who already eats 6-8x daily on average and consumes a rather large portion of protein on average(300-500g etc).
After looking at the research I will say that you may recieve some benefit by consuming large amounts of Glutamine (40-60g) daily, and only at specific times throughout the day would it be beneficial...(if you have or will be going without eating for several hours ) and (if you are ill).
After saying this, I can say personally that I will continue to take it during my work-outs, before cardio and will soon be doing my own bit of experimenting on high dose glutamine taken at specific times, but as far as saying that you need Glutamine to be a succesful bodybuilder, or that those taking supplemental Glutamine have an advantage over those relying on high protein foods/diets to receive their amino acids is just plain wrong, and I beleive we have been for the most part led astray by the supplement companies who touted supplemental Glutamine as a miraculous thing, that would make or break your success, and that those who didn't take it where "in the dark".
Conclusion
No one can argue that glutamine has an anti-catabolic/anabolic effect in critically ill patients. In healthy, weight training athletes glutamine supplementation has failed to show any effect on lean body mass or strength. The studies are small and few and usually of fairly short term. More studies are needed to explore glutamine as an anabolic signal. It would be interesting to study the effect of glutamine in severe training (border to overtraining), I have a feeling that in that kind of study glutamine might have an effect (considering the results in critically ill patients). Many athletes report good effect of glutamine but when it is studied in scientific way, it fails to show an effect. Thus, glutamine cannot be recommended as an agent to increase lean body mass at this moment.
...Also I feel that Glutamine is a useful supplement to those who do empty stomach cardio, as you can see the reserach says NO it has no significant use in the studies as of yet, but that is my personal feeling toward it.
What I have attempted to do is give my unbiased presentation of the literature, with references... and although seperate my own personal feelings on it as well.
References:
Antonio J et al, Glutamine: A potentially useful supplement for athletes, Can J Appl Physiol 24:1-14, 1999.
Antonio J et al, The effects of high-dose glutamine ingestion on weightlifting performance, J Strength Cond Res 16:157-160, 2002.
Candow LM et al, Effect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young adults, Eur J Appl Physiol 86:142-149, 2001.
Darin J et al, Effects of effervescent creatine, ribose, and glutamine supplementation on muscular strength, muscular endurance and body composition, J Strength Cond Res 17(4):810-816, 2003.
Haussinger D et al, Cellular hydration state: An important determinant of protein catabolism in health and disease, Lancet 341:1330-1332, 1993.
Lehmkuhl M et al, The effects of 8 weeks of creatine monohydrate and glutamine supplementation on body composition and performance measures, J Strength Cond Res 17(3):425-438, 2003.
Rohde T et al, Effect of glutamine supplementation on changes in the immune system induced by repeated exercise, Med Sci Sports Exerc 30:856-862, 1998.
Tarnopolsky MA et al, Influence of protein intake and training status on nitrogen balance and lean body mass, J Appl Physiol 64:187-193, 1988.
Glutamine
Information on the Oxford Nutrition Parenteral and Enteral Glutamine Literature service:[/u]
Following the publication in 1991 of research originating from Oxford Nutrition, the stability of L-glutamine (‘a conditionally essential amino acid’) in parenteral and enteral mixtures has been well defined. Ten years of stability data (McElroy et al BAPEN 2000) and more than 30,000 patient days experience with a 2.5% L-glutamine solution (manufactured for Oxford Nutrition as a ‘special’) have now been recorded. Clinical experience with l-glutamine in other centres has confirmed improved outcome with a decrease in infections (Griffiths et al, Nutrition 1997) and a significant reduction in hospital length of stay and cost for surgical patients. (Powell-Tuck et al, Gut 1999).
Glutamine in Sports
Short-term ingestion of glutamine does not enhance weightlifting performance in resistance-trained men.
Heavy exercise induces impairment of lymphocyte function. Ten male athletes participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study. Each athlete performed bicycle exercise for 2 h at 75% of maximum O(2) consumption on 2 separate days. Glutamine or placebo supplements were given orally during and up to 2 hours post-exercise. Most lymphocyte subpopulations decreased 2 h after exercise. Glutamine supplementation abolished the post-exercise decline in plasma glutamine concentration but had no effect on lymphocyte trafficking, Natural killer cell activities, T cell proliferation, catecholamines, growth hormone, insulin, or glucose. This study does not support the idea that glutamine plays a mechanistic role in exercise-induced immune changes.
The combination of glutamine and creatine increases muscle mass and power
There are many studies on critically ill patients and supplemental glutamine. Those studies have shown maintenance of muscle mass and improved immune sytem. There are several studies that have also shown good effect on the gut.
For our purposes however this does little, as we are otherwise healthy functioning individuals.
There are several claims that glutamine "works like creatine" in that it increases intracellular volume of muscle cells. The hypothesis is that glutamine promotes increases in cellular volume and osmolarity as a result of an insulin and sodium dependent transport system. That increased cellular swelling is suggested to start an anabolic proliferative signal and the muscle cell will grow (ref. 1, 5, 6). Tarnopolsky et al have shown many years ago, that glutamine supplementation may have an effect on muscle protein levels (ref. 8). Others also claims it improves immune system in healthy adults.
Candow (ref. 3) et al studied glutamine supplementation in resistance training young adults. 31 subjects were divided in 2 groups. One group recieved glutamine ( 0.9 g / kg lean tissue mass) and the other group recieved maltodextrin ( 0.9 g / kg lean tissue mass). Before and after, 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) of squats, bench press and peak knee extension were measured. Measurements of lean tissue mass and urinary measurements of muscle degradation were also made. The strength training program consisted for 6 weeks. The study showed that strength training increased (of course) strength and lean tissue mass. The study could not show any differences between the groups. That means that glutamine supplementation failed to show any additional effects on strength and lean body mass in this study.
I truthfully think we are seeing a pattern here, much like Layne has said: "of course you will see a increase in LBM. when given glutamine on a regular diet as compared to placebo" ecause what we keep missing is one huge point, GLUTAMINE IS AN AMINO ACID, it will increase muscle more than maltodextrin/placebo, amino acids are needed after weight training to repiair and form new muscle tissue.
Do high doses of glutamine really help you build more muscle?
So the question here becomes, does Glutamine have a benefit for a Bodybuilder who already eats 6-8x daily on average and consumes a rather large portion of protein on average(300-500g etc).
After looking at the research I will say that you may recieve some benefit by consuming large amounts of Glutamine (40-60g) daily, and only at specific times throughout the day would it be beneficial...(if you have or will be going without eating for several hours ) and (if you are ill).
After saying this, I can say personally that I will continue to take it during my work-outs, before cardio and will soon be doing my own bit of experimenting on high dose glutamine taken at specific times, but as far as saying that you need Glutamine to be a succesful bodybuilder, or that those taking supplemental Glutamine have an advantage over those relying on high protein foods/diets to receive their amino acids is just plain wrong, and I beleive we have been for the most part led astray by the supplement companies who touted supplemental Glutamine as a miraculous thing, that would make or break your success, and that those who didn't take it where "in the dark".
Conclusion
No one can argue that glutamine has an anti-catabolic/anabolic effect in critically ill patients. In healthy, weight training athletes glutamine supplementation has failed to show any effect on lean body mass or strength. The studies are small and few and usually of fairly short term. More studies are needed to explore glutamine as an anabolic signal. It would be interesting to study the effect of glutamine in severe training (border to overtraining), I have a feeling that in that kind of study glutamine might have an effect (considering the results in critically ill patients). Many athletes report good effect of glutamine but when it is studied in scientific way, it fails to show an effect. Thus, glutamine cannot be recommended as an agent to increase lean body mass at this moment.
...Also I feel that Glutamine is a useful supplement to those who do empty stomach cardio, as you can see the reserach says NO it has no significant use in the studies as of yet, but that is my personal feeling toward it.
What I have attempted to do is give my unbiased presentation of the literature, with references... and although seperate my own personal feelings on it as well.
References:
Antonio J et al, Glutamine: A potentially useful supplement for athletes, Can J Appl Physiol 24:1-14, 1999.
Antonio J et al, The effects of high-dose glutamine ingestion on weightlifting performance, J Strength Cond Res 16:157-160, 2002.
Candow LM et al, Effect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young adults, Eur J Appl Physiol 86:142-149, 2001.
Darin J et al, Effects of effervescent creatine, ribose, and glutamine supplementation on muscular strength, muscular endurance and body composition, J Strength Cond Res 17(4):810-816, 2003.
Haussinger D et al, Cellular hydration state: An important determinant of protein catabolism in health and disease, Lancet 341:1330-1332, 1993.
Lehmkuhl M et al, The effects of 8 weeks of creatine monohydrate and glutamine supplementation on body composition and performance measures, J Strength Cond Res 17(3):425-438, 2003.
Rohde T et al, Effect of glutamine supplementation on changes in the immune system induced by repeated exercise, Med Sci Sports Exerc 30:856-862, 1998.
Tarnopolsky MA et al, Influence of protein intake and training status on nitrogen balance and lean body mass, J Appl Physiol 64:187-193, 1988.