jpgeronimo

What does glutamine do? How should i take the sup? Should i have a loading phase? And should it be mixed with anything else?

"Me? I just want whats coming to me...The world, and everything in it.."

IainDaniel

20+ g a day. no loading. no mixing.

What are you using it for? Are you on a cut?

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

emf

there are several out there.
its mainly for recovery.
to some extent it releases your growth hormone,really not noticeable.
some are micronized time realese.
german american tech. puts out a good one that targets your receptors and is made to be taken in a protien drink or by itself.

nni

its largely a waste of money.

www.DesignerSupps.com
Adrenalean now available.

musclemilk40

l-glutamine is mandatory in anybody's diet and even more important to those of us that train really hard and are trying to grow. It is the most utilized amino acid in the body. It helps to make the body more efficient many ways..including the uptake of protein....immune function and many more.

Take 5gm on empty stomach (in between meals) 3 times daily.....you'll never get sick again.

Glutamine Powder Supplements for less from your Glutamine source Supplement Kingdom

PreMier

Glutamine is a waste of time IMO. The vast majority of clinical studies report no boost in athletic performance. It may help your immune system if you're overtraining though. Most of the glutamine you ingest is destroyed in the stomach.

Here's an example of one study:-

P-side Inc.

"the post-workout high is more profound than any drug-induced rush imaginable." -Dante B.

PreMier

Q: In a recent T-mag article, glutamine was described as pretty much worthless if you're already taking care of protein and post-workout protein/carb/amino needs. What's your opinion? Is glutamine overrated?

A: Well, for starters, glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid…
Aww hell; I'm not going start my response off with the standard opening line that just about everyone uses to indirectly affix grandiose importance to this amino acid! Sure, it's conditionally essential (meaning that although it's not absolutely necessary in the diet, our requirements for glutamine can exceed our production of it in certain conditions).

Yes, it makes up 2/3 of the muscle's free amino acid pool (which is a pretty damn small part of the muscle's total amino acid content anyway) and sure, glutamine has been shown to have some pretty amazing benefits in wasting conditions, postoperative patients, and in TPN (total parenteral nutrition).

But as bodybuilding/fitness writers, it's about time we put aside this useless trivia and discuss the utility of glutamine supplementation for athletes, weight lifters, etc. A few years ago there were no data and therefore we could speculate all we wanted about the theoretical potential of glutamine supplementation. But nowadays, we've got the data and the data demonstrate that our theories may have been wrong.

To this end, I applaud my good friend David Barr on his excellent articles (Glutamine — Destroying the Dogma Part I and Part II) that revealed that despite all the conjecture about how glutamine supplementation may help increase muscle mass, muscle strength, and prevent overtraining, each and every research investigation examining the effects of glutamine supplementation on exercise performance, body composition, and protein degradation has shown that it offers no benefit. Because of the great job that Dave did in his literature review, I certainly don't have to provide a reference list — they're all right there at the end of his article.

To reiterate a few of the key points that Dave brought up in his article and that I brought up at the SWIS seminar:

• A high protein diet provides a big whack of glutamine as it is. In fact, if you follow standard bodybuilding protein recommendations, about 10% of your total dietary protein intake is composed of glutamine (milk proteins are composed of somewhere between 3 — 10% glutamine while meat is composed of about 15% glutamine). This means that a high protein diet (400g/day) already provides me with about 40g of glutamine.

• While the theorists still cling to the idea that since glutamine helps clinical stress, it might help with exercise stress, it’s important to note that exercise stress has got nothin’ on surgery, cancer, sepsis, burns, etc. For example, when compared with downhill running or weight lifting, urinary nitrogen loss is 15x (1400%) greater in minor surgery, 25x (2400%) greater in major surgery, and 33x (3200%) greater in sepsis. When it comes to the immune response, it’s about 9x (800%) greater with surgery. When it comes to metabolic increase, it’s 7x (600%) greater with burn injury, and when it comes to creatine kinase release; it’s about 2x (100%) greater with surgery. As I said, exercise has got nothin’ on real, clinical stress. It’s like trying to compare the damage inflicted by a peashooter and that inflicted by a rocket launcher.

• The major studies examining glutamine supplementation in otherwise healthy weightlifters have shown no effect. In the study by Candow et al (2001), 0.9g of supplemental glutamine/kg/day had no impact on muscle performance, body composition, and protein degradation. Folks, that's 90g per day for some lifters.

• The majority of the studies using glutamine supplementation in endurance athletes have shown little to no measurable benefit on performance or immune function.

• And with respect to glycogen replenishment in endurance athletes, it's interesting to note that the first study that looked at glycogen resynthesis using glutamine missed a couple of things. Basically, the study showed that after a few glycogen depleting hours of cycling at a high percentage of VO2 max interspersed with very intense cycle sprints that were supramaximal, a drink containing 8g of glutamine replenished glycogen to the same extent as a drink containing 61g of carbohydrate.

The problem was that during the recovery period, a constant IV infusion of labeled glucose was given (i.e., a little bit of glucose was given to both groups by IV infusion). While this isn't too big of a deal on its own since the infusion only provided a couple of grams of glucose, the other problem is that during glycogen depleting exercise, a lot of alanine, lactate, and other gluconeogenic precursors are released from the muscle.

What this means is that there's a good amount of glucose that will be formed after such exercise, glucose that will be made in the liver from the gluconeogenic precursors and that will travel to the muscle to replenish glycogen. Therefore, without a placebo group that receives no calories, carbohydrates, or glutamine, we have no idea of knowing whether or not the placebo would have generated the same amount of glycogen replenishment as the glutamine group or the glutamine plus carbohydrate group. To say it another way, perhaps there's a normal glycogen replenishment curve that was unaffected by any of the treatments.

• And finally, with respect to the claims that glutamine might increase cell swelling/volume (something I once believed was a reality), we decided to test this theory out in our lab using multifrequency bioelectric impedance analysis as well as magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The pilot data that's kicking around has demonstrated that glutamine supplementation has no effect on total body water, intracellular fluid volumes, or extracellular fluid volumes (as measured by mBIA) and has no effect on muscle volume (as measured by nMRS).

Therefore, at the present time, I think it's safe to conclude that glutamine supplementation probably offers little to no benefit with respect to athletic performance or body composition when given to well-fed, healthy athletes. But I don't want to totally burst anyone's little glutamine bubble. After all, I'm not saying that glutamine supplementation is totally worthless. As Dave Barr pointed out in his article, there may be some circumstances in which glutamine supplementation is of benefit. Here are some of them:

• Steroid users who are improperly coming off a cycle might need some. When coming off a steroid cycle, blood Testosterone concentrations are dismally low while cortisol levels become quite elevated. If said steroid user continues training (which he/she must to try to preserve their muscle mass), the catabolic stimulation might be significant. It still doesn't approach clinical catabolism but it may just become bad enough that some extra glutamine might help. This is just a guess, however.

• When trying to get really lean, many bodybuilders restrict energy intake and increase exercise volume and might need some glutamine. This type of energy deficit may signal the body to begin using protein as an energy source, cutting into valuable muscle resources. In addition this catabolic stimulus will be compounded by the exercise stress and may lead to excess catabolism. Perhaps glutamine may help out in these scenarios. Again, a guess.

• In elite endurance athletes training intensely 2 or 3 times in a given day, I might prescribe some. Although I rarely recommend glutamine to my clients, my elite cross country skiers are encouraged to take it mostly during their trips to altitude camp and for glacier training. These athletes train 2-3 times per day for a week or two at a time while living in tents on a glacier at altitude. Add on the fact that nutrition on such excursions is bare bones, so that's some stress that glutamine might help with.

• When injured and trying to prevent wasting or facilitate wound/soft tissue injury, take some. Williams et al (2002) demonstrated that daily supplementation with 3g of HMB, 14g of glutamine, and 14g of arginine can lead to increased wound healing.

So when all is said and done, I pretty much agree with Dave's appraisal of the value of glutamine supplementation for well-fed weightlifters and bodybuilders. Considering how much protein most bodybuilders consume, additional glutamine supplementation are probably worthless. However, like any other question, there isn't a black and white answer. There do remain a few situations, as discussed above, that glutamine might be a supplement to consider. Personally, I only prescribe it to my skiers during altitude and glacier training, to steroid users coming "off," to bodybuilders during the last few weeks of competition dieting, and to people who are injured and trying hard to recover. And, of course, to those with legitimate wasting conditions. If you don't fall into any of these categories, spend your money on more groceries.

John Berardi - Appetite For Construction, Nov 8 2002

P-side Inc.

"the post-workout high is more profound than any drug-induced rush imaginable." -Dante B.

PreMier

Oh and that site fucking sucks, stop pimping it

P-side Inc.

"the post-workout high is more profound than any drug-induced rush imaginable." -Dante B.

musclemilk40

whatever dude....keep pulling your stupid studies out that you so heavily rely on. for every con i can substantiate it with an article touting glutamines virtues. What a dork....you should try some because whatever your taking aint working...looks like youve been on a heavy canadian bacon diet.

musclemilk40

Cause you sure ain't gonna get any for free looking all soft and flabby like a slab of canadian bacon.

IainDaniel

Quite an ingenious comeback.

You want any of your remarks to have any credibility?

Oh I forgot Fitness and health is based on mythological creatures. Shit why do we even have science. Lets just kill all the scientists.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

PreMier

Ya know.. I dont mind anything you said, but im not canadian you fucker.

Seriously though, I posted some information on why not to use glutamine.. yet you call me names and insult the way I look? Grow the fuck up dude, its immature little bitches like yourself that bring the site down.

P-side Inc.

"the post-workout high is more profound than any drug-induced rush imaginable." -Dante B.

sensamilia

Glutamine gets destroyed by ur stomach acid, its only worth taking for its immune boosting effects. I dont enjoy getting the sniffles during winter so thats when i take some that comes with my wey.

FishOrCutBait

SCIENCE LOL

IT DOES NOTHING

I believe in Jesus.

"tried and true theory on one's self is probably the only non-biased proof that something works for someone." - juggernaut

Gazhole

Come on guys, everybody knows "that dude in the gym who said what glutamine does is good and shit" is far more reliable than a controlled scientific experiment.

Cut the guy some slack.

http://sdatrainingprograms.blogspot.com - Updated 25/04/08

nni

your dumb with your stupid proven science, i have articles by good "bros" that say its good. take your science and shove it!!!!!


glutamine is a waste.

www.DesignerSupps.com
Adrenalean now available.

Tatyana

Ok, I will take my science and shove it when you go back to living and cooking with fire, ditch your TV, ipod, computer, car. Oh yes and buses are out, internal combustion engine, developed by science.

No more trips to the doctor for you either, BAD SCIENCE.

Better get off the gear as well, hGH is out, it is genetically engineered, insulin as well. Yes SHOVE SCIENCE.

Designer supplements? Smacks of science to me, better change your career.

I really don't get the need for such aggressive and rude responses.

BTW, you didn't even read what premier had posted.

Most people actually have no idea about the scientific method, metabolic pathways in their body, or any scientific literacy.


I am usually quite polite about these things, however I am dieting and I have my period.

Actually I will refrain, I would prefer logic over domination, bullying and insults to try to make a point.

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This was also for GAZhole and Musclemilk

PreMier

nni was being sarcastic, hence the last line

P-side Inc.

"the post-workout high is more profound than any drug-induced rush imaginable." -Dante B.

nni

i guess it was lost on her, you think ?

www.DesignerSupps.com
Adrenalean now available.

Tatyana

My bad, it was lost on me



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KelJu

Glutamine is a waste. I wasted my money on it for a year and never saw shit from it. Nice article Premier, I remember reading it some time before.

Hey MuscleMilk, fuck off retard. I beat you think musclemilk helps build muscle better than real food, too. Fucking moron.

Brutus_G

Glutamine seems to help me think on a low carb low cal diet since it can convert to glucose. Anyones who's had the brain fog knows what i mean also i take 2g before bed with 10g BCAAs to help raise the good hormones and lower the bad ones. Some ppl swear by it others hate the stuff i think it has some uses ,but the problem is when ppl say it cures cancer and can stop world hunger lol.

"People do it everyday, they talk to themselves... they see themselves as they'd like to be, they don't have the courage you have, to just run with it."-Tyler Durden

PreMier

the problem is they(people) 'think' it makes them recover faster.. "Oooh, right there, yup my protein synthesis levels just returned to baseline levels. Guess i'm recovered... this glutamine is miracle stuff"

Everything has its uses.. I dont think glutamine is a complete waste. glutamine is very helpfull especially when calories are severly restricted as it does help to reduce muscle cataboslim. most people never get serious enough about there diet to get down to single digit body fat to actually experience the benefits of glutamine for this purpose...most just talk out of their asses when it comes to using glutamine for this purpose

so for the everyday average joe BB like my self, and 99.9% of the members here.. I think its useless.

P-side Inc.

"the post-workout high is more profound than any drug-induced rush imaginable." -Dante B.