The Super Supplement: Glutamine

Glutamine is the single-most important amino acid for exercisers, bodybuilders, and athletes. The most plentiful amino acid in blood and skeletal muscle, glutamine serves as a building block for proteins, nucleotides (structural units of RNA and DNA), and other amino acids and is the principle fuel source for cells that make up your immune system. Glutamine is also one of the amino acids found in Parrillo’s Ultimate Amino Formula^™.

Glutamine is an immunonutrient and the favored fuel of your immune cells. This means you need it when you’re ill, stressed, or recovering from surgery. Researchers have also discovered that many athletes are deficient in glutamine – a shortage that makes them more vulnerable to infections. (1)

Glutamine is technically described as a “glucogenic,” meaning that it assists your body in manufacturing glycogen, the chief muscle fuel. Scientists speculate either that glutamine itself can be converted into muscle glycogen or that it may inhibit the breakdown of glycogen. (2)

Also, supplemental glutamine has been shown to elevate growth hormone (GH) levels, theoretically influencing muscle growth. In a study at Louisiana State University College of Medicine in Shreveport, researchers found that oral supplementation with glutamine dramatically elevated growth hormone levels. Nine healthy volunteers (ages 32 to 64) were given 2 grams of glutamine over a 20-minute period, 45 minutes following breakfast. Blood samples taken every half hour over 90 minutes revealed a 430 percent hike in growth hormone levels. Theoretically, supplementing with glutamine may help you build and maintain muscle tissue, particularly if you exercise regularly. (3)

Each capsule in the Ultimate Amino Formula^™ contains 103 milligrams of glutamine. I recommend that you take two or more capsules of this supplement with each meal. That should supply a gram or more daily – which is appropriate for athletes and active individuals. Parrillo Performance also adds extra glutamine to our Hi-Protein^™ powder and Optimized Whey^™ protein powders. People with liver or kidney disease should not supplement with glutamine, however, because it can aggravate these conditions and interfere with their treatment.

REFERENCES

1. Tuttle, D. 1997. Glutamine: athletic benefits times three. Let’s Live, September, 71-73.

2. Varnier, M, et al. 1995. Stimulatory effect of glutamine on glycogen accumulation in human skeletal muscle. American Journal of Physiology 269: E309-E315.

3. Welbourne, T. 1995. Increased plasma bicarbonate and growth hormone after an oral glutamine load. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 61: 1058-1061.