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Got this from the supplement forum's FAQ. This is very inaccurate information, I will break it down....
From a study done, glutamine was proven worthless orally in weight training, heres the conclusion:
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. (1)
*(1) Effect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young adults.
Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, Burke DG, Davison KS, Smith-Palmer T.
College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
Glutamine is indeed the most abundant free-form amino acid in the body. So abundant in fact, it would take 6 days of intense weight training and 5 days of intense (HIIT style) cardio to deplete basal glutamine levels enough to need outside supplement. The body will not use supplemented glutamine unless its own stores are drastically depleted. Glutamine also will not absorb in a high caloric diet, i.e. bulking.
Not exactly. I would like a reference to show that glutamine is depleted by 50%, Im not sure this is accurate. None the less, almost every protein powder contains a nice amino acid profile, including a good amount of glutamine, so you're already restoring basal levels, not to mention if you eat dairy products, beans, etc. you're also building stores back up, so hyw pay $40 for 400 grams?
Also, glutamine has no effect on protein synthesis, as proven from this statement from a PubMed study:
We conclude that intravenous infusion of amino acids increases the fractional rate of mixed muscle protein synthesis, but addition of glutamine to the amino acid mixture does not further stimulate muscle protein synthesis rate in healthy young men and women. (2)
(2) Metabolism 2000 Dec;49(12):1555-60 Related Articles, Links
Intravenous glutamine does not stimulate mixed muscle protein synthesis in healthy young men and women.
Zachwieja JJ, Witt TL, Yarasheski KE.
Exercise and Nutrition Program, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Before you say "glutamine is taken orally, not intravenous, think about it, ah yes, intravenous would prove glutamine even more potent in the body and it still fails the test.
Ah yes, the stress factor... glutamine has no physiological effect on the human bodies immune system, as provided in this statement:
It is concluded that, although the glutamine hypothesis may explain immunodepression related to other stressful conditions such as trauma and burn, plasma glutamine concentration is not likely to play a mechanistic role in exercise-induced immunodepression. (3)
And this one..:
This study does not support that postexercise decrease in salivary IgA is related to plasma glutamine concentrations (4)
(3) J Appl Physiol 2002 Sep;93(3):813-22 Related Articles, Links
Exercise-induced immunodepression- plasma glutamine is not the link.
Hiscock N, Pedersen BK.
Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre and Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
(4) Effect of glutamine and protein supplementation on exercise-induced decreases in salivary IgA.
Krzywkowski K, Petersen EW, Ostrowski K, Link-Amster H, Boza J, Halkjaer-Kristensen J, Pedersen BK.
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lets see these studies?
Anyway, the majority of the 'cell volumizing effects' comes from glycogen replacement in the muscle belly, which is dismissed here:
It is concluded that ingestion of a glutamine/carbohydrate mixture does not increase the rate of glycogen resynthesis in muscle. (5)
(5) Int J Sports Med 2000 Jan;21(1):25-30 Related Articles, Links
The effect of free glutamine and peptide ingestion on the rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis in man.
van Hall G, Saris WH, van de Schoor PA, Wagenmakers AJ.
Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. RH01769@RH.DK
Actually they have, see above. This is obvious from a supplement company attempting to pimp glutamine. God forbid mention that it was worthless to weight training athletes, then no one would buy it. Its rare to find a study, if ever, to support glutamine as a positive factor on the body, and all you can find is articles and 99% of these are written or funded by supplement companines, who inevitably are insure the article is pro-glutamine.
But you just said there was no link to glutamine needed for weight training athletes? Vitamin C boosts the immune system too and its 100x's cheaper and it really boosts the immunse system.
More of a sign and symptom of not enough protein. Catabolism occurs when the body has to use amino acids for energy, via breakdown of lean muscle tissue. This is generally in extreme cases, when glycogen is fully delpleted and fat stores are SO low that they refuse to release triglycerides for energy production. These guys make glutamine out to be comparable to protein, lame.
10 grams and 9.5 of that is pissed out within hours. No clinical studies have determined anything pro-glutamine.
A healthy diet for whom? I eat a healthy diet of around 4K calories a day, Im sure thats well above average, and sinc ethis article refused to lay out what was average, this is a null statement. Im sure I get around 20 grams of glutamine, naturally each day, which is more than enough, not to mention real food is cheaper.
Study to back this up please? Holy shit! they're ill! No wonder! they're also lacking water, glycogen, vitamins and minerals, most everything.
This is a repost, just reworded from above. Glutamine has no effects on protein synthesis, see above. When there is protein depletion, muscle breaksdown.Glutamine counteracts cortisol because of its insulin releasing factors, insulin naturally suppresses cortisol, so why not carb up pre workout? Whey protein also spikes insulin to suppress cortisol. Vitamin C is one of the major factors in cortisol suppression. This is a very inaccurate, vague article.
Reference please? Once again, Surgical and injury trauma, infections, burns, stress, cancer, and most major illnesses dramatically decrease EVERYTHING in the body. Geez.
Actually no, the glutamine effecting protein synthesis was dismissed above, this is the 3rd time this article mentions this right? weak. Not to mention it already said no studies have been done to see reason to take glutmaine orally for weight lifting athletes.
Well let's see this research? Nevermind, it doesnt exist.
4th time, dismissed above.
Sure it did, wheres the article? 
1995? That's 8 years ago my man, new research is done everyday. So what about guys around say...24? how does it effect us? weak.
All dismissed above.
Prevents over training? So I can do chest every other day and not be over training? Need to be more specific. Who wrote this? I want to e-mail them. The only thing to prevent over training is to not over train in your workout routine, duh.
Wait, it said above that it suppressed cortisol via insulin spike. wtf? Change your mind? Once again, any relation to glycogen is dismissed. Yes, it can convert to glucogen via the Cory cycle, but if you dont burn it up, guess what? yep, does as any carb would do and sotres as fat, so thats more glycogen you have to burn if you over do the glutamine, and if you're cutting, which is when glutamine is used the most, thats more glycogen you have to burn to get to that fat store, so glutaminei s actually worthless when cutting,
Wtf? This isnt of any relevance to bodybuilding, other than when cutting to prevent sugar cravings, but when you have to take that much, it just converts to glucose (sugar), so whats the point?
Funny, so does milk, cottage cheese and protein powder. This is a very weak article, not much trouble picking this one apart, jsut another expample as to why glutamine is worthless.
2. What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Glutamine is highly in demand throughout the body. It is used in the gut and immune system extensively to maintain optimal performance. 60% of free-form amino acids floating in skeletal muscles is L-glutamine. L-glutamine plays a very important role in protein metabolism, and it appears to be a very important nutrient for body builders. When supplemented, it may help body builders reduce the amount of muscle deterioration that occurs because other tissues that need glutamine will not rob the glutamine stored in the muscle cells.
Glutamine is highly in demand throughout the body. It is used in the gut and immune system extensively to maintain optimal performance. 60% of free-form amino acids floating in skeletal muscles is L-glutamine. L-glutamine plays a very important role in protein metabolism, and it appears to be a very important nutrient for body builders. When supplemented, it may help body builders reduce the amount of muscle deterioration that occurs because other tissues that need glutamine will not rob the glutamine stored in the muscle cells.
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. (1)
*(1) Effect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young adults.
Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, Burke DG, Davison KS, Smith-Palmer T.
College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
Glutamine is indeed the most abundant free-form amino acid in the body. So abundant in fact, it would take 6 days of intense weight training and 5 days of intense (HIIT style) cardio to deplete basal glutamine levels enough to need outside supplement. The body will not use supplemented glutamine unless its own stores are drastically depleted. Glutamine also will not absorb in a high caloric diet, i.e. bulking.
Research shows that after intensely working out, glutamine levels in the body are reduced by as much as 50%. Since the body relies on glutamine as cellular fuel for the immune system, scientific studies have shown that glutamine supplementation can minimize the breakdown of muscle tissue and improve protein metabolism.
Also, glutamine has no effect on protein synthesis, as proven from this statement from a PubMed study:
We conclude that intravenous infusion of amino acids increases the fractional rate of mixed muscle protein synthesis, but addition of glutamine to the amino acid mixture does not further stimulate muscle protein synthesis rate in healthy young men and women. (2)
(2) Metabolism 2000 Dec;49(12):1555-60 Related Articles, Links
Intravenous glutamine does not stimulate mixed muscle protein synthesis in healthy young men and women.
Zachwieja JJ, Witt TL, Yarasheski KE.
Exercise and Nutrition Program, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Before you say "glutamine is taken orally, not intravenous, think about it, ah yes, intravenous would prove glutamine even more potent in the body and it still fails the test.
Its effects on replenishing the body after stress or trauma have been shown in Europe where it is commonly given to patients in hospitals.
It is concluded that, although the glutamine hypothesis may explain immunodepression related to other stressful conditions such as trauma and burn, plasma glutamine concentration is not likely to play a mechanistic role in exercise-induced immunodepression. (3)
And this one..:
This study does not support that postexercise decrease in salivary IgA is related to plasma glutamine concentrations (4)
(3) J Appl Physiol 2002 Sep;93(3):813-22 Related Articles, Links
Exercise-induced immunodepression- plasma glutamine is not the link.
Hiscock N, Pedersen BK.
Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre and Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
(4) Effect of glutamine and protein supplementation on exercise-induced decreases in salivary IgA.
Krzywkowski K, Petersen EW, Ostrowski K, Link-Amster H, Boza J, Halkjaer-Kristensen J, Pedersen BK.
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Glutamine's cell-volumizing effects have also been shown in several studies.
Anyway, the majority of the 'cell volumizing effects' comes from glycogen replacement in the muscle belly, which is dismissed here:
It is concluded that ingestion of a glutamine/carbohydrate mixture does not increase the rate of glycogen resynthesis in muscle. (5)
(5) Int J Sports Med 2000 Jan;21(1):25-30 Related Articles, Links
The effect of free glutamine and peptide ingestion on the rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis in man.
van Hall G, Saris WH, van de Schoor PA, Wagenmakers AJ.
Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. RH01769@RH.DK
No conclusive studies have been done to evaluate the effects of L-glutamine supplementation on weight-training adults; however, a recent study showed up to a 400% increase in growth-hormone levels when as little as 2 grams of free-form L-glutamine supplement was consumed!
3. Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
Bodybuilders and those who have been under a lot of stress or trauma (such as burn, surgery, and disease victims) can particularly gain from the intake of glutamine. Since bodybuilders use a lot of their glutamine when working out, they are more susceptible to illness, as the immune system relies heavily on this amino acid.
Bodybuilders and those who have been under a lot of stress or trauma (such as burn, surgery, and disease victims) can particularly gain from the intake of glutamine. Since bodybuilders use a lot of their glutamine when working out, they are more susceptible to illness, as the immune system relies heavily on this amino acid.
Becoming ill or losing lean muscle mass are signs of deficiency. Catabolism or muscle break down can occur if the body robs muscles of glutamine for use elsewhere such as nitrogen transport or maintaining the immune system. Glutamine supplementation is certainly important in keeping muscles building--not deteriorating.
4. How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
Bodybuilders can benefit by taking ten grams of L-glutamine per day, although clinical studies have not determined a precise amount for muscle metabolism optimization.
Bodybuilders can benefit by taking ten grams of L-glutamine per day, although clinical studies have not determined a precise amount for muscle metabolism optimization.
Glutamic Acid
We primarily obtain glutamine from the conversion of glutamic acid from food, although some is also found in food. The average amount supplied from a healthy diet is 5-8 grams per day.
We primarily obtain glutamine from the conversion of glutamic acid from food, although some is also found in food. The average amount supplied from a healthy diet is 5-8 grams per day.
Among medical practitioners who use blood tests to determine amino acid status, glutamine is one that is often found to be lacking, especially in patients with either chronic illness or mood and cognitive symptoms.
For this reason glutamine has become extremely popular, not just with athletes, but among holistic medical practitioners who use it in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments. Glutamine in muscle is a regulator of muscle protein synthesis or muscle building and supports muscle glycogen accumulation. When there is glutamine depletion, there is a breakdown in muscle. Studies indicate glutamine counteracts cortisone steroid induced muscle atrophy.
Skeletal muscle in the body accounts for approximately 30-40% of the total body mass. A 150 lb male would ideally have about 60 grams of glutamine in these muscles. Free stores of glutamine in muscles exceed those of any other amino acid. Surgical and injury trauma, infections, burns, stress, cancer, and most major illnesses dramatically deplete and alter the production and flow of glutamine causing movement of glutamine out of the muscle and decreasing glutamine blood levels.
Under these circumstances the net glutamine consumption exceeds the production and there is a decrease in muscle protein synthesis. This contributes to the muscle wasting seen in severe illness and trauma and can also happen with intense exercise.
Research has shown a significant correlation between survival in severely infected patients and the muscle glutamine concentration. Supplying glutamine helps the metabolic processes associated with recovery. So as an athlete glutamine can help you in the following areas:
Stimulates muscle protein synthesis by donating nitrogen to build proteins.
Increases growth hormone which can induce positive body composition and mood changes (Note: A study done in 1995 by LSU College of Medicine showed that a surprisingly small oral dose of 2 grams of glutamine raised GH levels more than 4X over that of a placebo. Age did not diminish the response of the volunteers who ranged in age from 32 to 64 years.)
1995? That's 8 years ago my man, new research is done everyday. So what about guys around say...24? how does it effect us? weak.
Decreases muscle catabolism during exercise
Increases endurance by replenishing glycogen under conditions of glycogen depletion
Decreases muscle recovery time
Decreases the chances of illness/infection by boosting your immune system
Increases endurance by replenishing glycogen under conditions of glycogen depletion
Decreases muscle recovery time
Decreases the chances of illness/infection by boosting your immune system
All dismissed above.
Prevents over-training from high loads and long duration activities (recall that blood glutamine levels are an excellent marker of anabolic status).
Improves And Stabilizes Blood Sugar
Glutamine does this through several mechanisms. When the blood sugar is low, glutamine suppresses insulin to stop the further decline of the sugar levels. It also stimulates glycogen to be released to help increase the blood sugar to normal levels. Further, glutamine is a glycogenic amino acid which means it can convert to sugar for energy production, a process called gluconeogenesis.
Glutamine does this through several mechanisms. When the blood sugar is low, glutamine suppresses insulin to stop the further decline of the sugar levels. It also stimulates glycogen to be released to help increase the blood sugar to normal levels. Further, glutamine is a glycogenic amino acid which means it can convert to sugar for energy production, a process called gluconeogenesis.
Decreases Alcohol And Sugar Cravings
The blood sugar stabilizing effects may partly explain why it decreases sugar and alcohol cravings. In studies with alcoholics, 2 to 3 grams given 3 times daily decreased the desire to drink, decreased anxiety, and improved sleep. It works best given between meals. Giving glutamine to rats decreased their voluntary alcohol consumption by 34%. When the glutamine was stopped their alcohol consumption returned to baseline levels.
The blood sugar stabilizing effects may partly explain why it decreases sugar and alcohol cravings. In studies with alcoholics, 2 to 3 grams given 3 times daily decreased the desire to drink, decreased anxiety, and improved sleep. It works best given between meals. Giving glutamine to rats decreased their voluntary alcohol consumption by 34%. When the glutamine was stopped their alcohol consumption returned to baseline levels.
Maintains Health And Function Of The Lining Of The Gut
Due to the frequency and volume that most athletes consume food they put a heck of a lot of stress on the digestive system and glutamine can help ensure everything is functioning properly here. Many medical professionals believe that most chronic diseases originate from the gut. The problem starts when, for a variety of reasons, the lining of the gut becomes leaky, which allows pathogens, food particles, bacteria, fungi, and parasites into general circulation where they can cause problems such as autoimmune diseases, food allergies, and a host of other chronic ailments.
Due to the frequency and volume that most athletes consume food they put a heck of a lot of stress on the digestive system and glutamine can help ensure everything is functioning properly here. Many medical professionals believe that most chronic diseases originate from the gut. The problem starts when, for a variety of reasons, the lining of the gut becomes leaky, which allows pathogens, food particles, bacteria, fungi, and parasites into general circulation where they can cause problems such as autoimmune diseases, food allergies, and a host of other chronic ailments.
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