Bodybuilders have long considered L-Glutamine to be a supplement staple. Sport supplement companies tout significant claims as to glutamine's benefits -- it prevents muscle catabolism, promotes muscle anabolism, enhances the immune system, enhances glycogen stores, maintains a positive nitrogen balance between meals, elevates growth hormone levels and helps support the immune system. In short, everything a bodybuilder wants. Yet in this unregulated supplement industry, conflicting information about supplementing with this amino acid is rampant, and can leave bodybuilders confused. Instead of keeping your focus narrowly on the supplement at hand, expand your investigative scope to critically include the studies and sources themselves.

 

Because glutamine supplementation reaches beyond the bodybuilding world into mainstream -- persons suffering from problematic muscle atrophy, reduced immune system efficiency and certain gastronomical disorders, for examples -- medical researchers continually subject glutamine to study,

 

maintaining its stance in the realm of controversy, and generating generally current findings about its use. The trouble with drawing from these studies for bodybuilding applications is that most of them are not designed to test glutamine supplementation for bodybuilding purposes, with bodybuilding constants and variables, and as bodybuilders use it. For instance, many of these studies use the minimum sports-recommended dosages or less, while bodybuilders notoriously use comparatively high dosages, especially during heavy training and dieting cycles, such as precontest. Furthermore, most studies are short-lived, and the effects of glutamine are actualized over longer terms.

 

Consider just a few findings in the glutamine wars. Researchers have established that glutamine supplementation may promote nitrogen retention (a positive nitrogen balance) and prevent the loss of muscle protein.1 However, a well-publicized study conducted in Iowa and published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine in December 2003 blasted glutamine as ineffective for maintaining muscle mass. The study used 18 college wrestlers, supplementing orally, during a 12-day

weight-loss program. The aim of the study was to evaluate glutamine's effect on fat loss; muscle retention was only secondary. It concluded that supplementing wrestlers did not maintain more muscle than wrestlers who took a dummy placebo. For bodybuilding purposes, the study was inappropriate. The study considered subjects only for 12 days, and its aims were inverted. These details are not discussed in mainstream media because bodybuilding concerns are not those of the critical mass.

 

Glutamine is interesting in that it is considered a nonessential amino acid; however, research indicates that glutamine can become essential when the metabolic demand exceeds the amount available in the body. This situation can easily arise for bodybuilders, during heavy training programs and strict caloric deficit dieting. Other catabolists include severe injury, trauma, certain disease and illness. Most naturally occurring glutamine is stored in muscles, which release it into the blood when necessary. About half of the glutamine you consume is used immediately in the small intestinal tract. 2

 

Glutamine is one of the less glamorous ergonomic supplements, because it does nothing to induce a sensation, like stimulants, hormone manipulators and mood enhancers can. So if you begin taking glutamine for the first time or increase your dosage, you will not feel any significant change in your muscular strength during your work outs. Instead, the results are decreased training-induced muscle damage, better recovery between training sessions, and the gradual increase of lean mass,   subsequently increased strength. The effects of glutamine supplementation are by nature gradual, to be seen long term.

 

Until impartial researchers assess the effectiveness of glutamine supplementation in controlled studies targeted specifically for bodybuilders, we are forced to rely either on educated judgments calls concerning off-base experiments, or specific research conducted by vested parties such as supplement manufacturers. Bodybuilders also rely on personal experimentation and the opinions of those whom they consider experts in the field. Potentially the best available advice to date is that of appropriately educated experts in the fitness industry, trusted gurus such as INBF-affiliate Dr. Joe Klemczewski.

 

Klemczewski is an enthusiastic glutamine supplementation advocate. He recommends one tablespoon of powdered glutamine 30 minutes prior to workouts, one tablespoon before bed, and for those dieting, another tablespoon after workouts and cardio sessions. This amounts to 2-5 tablespoons total, per day. Typical daily dosages for bodybuilders total 15-25 grams.

 

Glutamine is relatively unstable in solution, so glutamine powders should be consumed immediately after mixing. Unflavored, it has a bitter, chalky taste. Typical liquids for glutamine mixing include water, fruit juice and flavored protein drinks.

 

Klemczewski adds that although glutamine is virtually free of contraindications, people with liver or renal failure are recommended to use caution, and pregnant women are advised not to take oral glutamine.3

 

References                                                    

1 Stehle P, Zander J, Mertes N, Albers S, Puchstein C, Lawin P, Furst P. Effect of parenteral glutamine peptide supplements on muscle glutamine loss and nitrogen balance after major surgery. Lancet. 1989;1:231-3.

2 Antonio J, Street C. Glutamine: a potentially useful supplement for athletes. Can J Appl Physiol. 1999;24:1-14.

3 Klemczewski, Joe. Glutamine. 2002. http://www.joesrevolution.com. Last visited 8.12.2004.