L-Glutamine As a Suppliment
Glutamine
Of all the amino acids that can be taken separately, none come close to generating the potential of L-Glutamine. Under Normal circumstances the body can synthesize sufficient L-Glutamine from other amino acids to meet physical demands, but under some conditions the body cannot do so. Recently, L-Glutamine has come to be regarded as one of the most important of the amino acids when the body is subjected to stress such as trauma, cancer burns, and intense exercise! Under these conditions, L-Glutamine becomes an essential amino acid, and it is therefore very important to consume sufficient amounts to meet the increased physical demands created but these situations.
For Body Builders, glutamine’s primary benefit is to keep the body in a positive nitrogen balance. Body building or not, everyone wants to remain healthy, and besides being a necessity in muscle building, glutamine is also a primary ingredient in many of the immune system’s potent germ fighters. As long periods of intense workout can depress the immune system, athletes will be wise to supplement with glutamine. The fact that amino acid also boost muscle-tissue synthesis is a bonus. The normal dosage of glutamine taken by body builders and other athletes is 5-10 grams per day.
(from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Glutamine (abbreviated as Gln or Q) is one of the 20 amino acids encoded by the standard genetic code. It is not recognized as an essential amino acid but may become conditionally essential in certain situations, including intensive athletic training or certain gastrointestinal disorders. Its side-chain is an amide formed by replacing the side-chain hydroxyl of glutamic acid with an amine functional group. Therefore, it can be considered the amide of glutamic acid. Its codons are CAA and CAG. In human blood, glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid, with a concentration of about 500-900 µmol/l.
Examples for the usage of glutamine
In catabolic states of injury and illness, glutamine becomes conditionally-essential (requiring intake from food or supplements). Glutamine has been studied extensively over the past 10–15 years and has been shown to be useful in treatment of serious illnesses, injury, trauma, burns, and treatment-related side-effects of cancer as well as in wound healing for postoperative patients. Glutamine is also marketed as a supplement used for muscle growth in weightlifting, bodybuilding, endurance, and other sports. Evidence indicates that glutamine when orally loaded may increase plasma HGH levels by stimulating the anterior pituitary gland. In biological research, L-glutamine is commonly added to the media in cell culture.