Glutamine is traditionally considered a nonessential amino acid but may be conditionally essential in patients with catabolic (loss of muscle tissue due to disease) conditions. Glutamine-supplemented foods in these patients have been shown to prevent deterioration of gut permeability, protect against the development of intestinal mucosal atrophy, and improve nitrogen balance. For more glutamine research.
   Glutamine levels in plasma and skeletal muscle are decreased in those with cancer. Glutamine supplementation can attenuate loss of protein in the muscle and protect immune and gut-barrier function during radiochemotherapy in patients with advanced cancer. Click here to buy Glutamine.
       
Growth hormone release
Effects of an oral mixture containing glycine, glutamine and niacin on memory, GH and IGF-I secretion in middle-aged and elderly subjects.
Arwert LI. VU University Medical Center, de Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HVAmsterdam, The Netherlands.
Nutr Neurosci. 2003 Oct;6(5):269-75.
Aging is associated with declining activity of the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor-I (GH-IGF-I) axis and with a decrease in cognitive function. The stimulatory effect of an orally administered nutritional supplement, mainly containing glycine, glutamine and niacin on the GH-IGF-I axis and on mood and cognition was investigated. Forty-two healthy subjects (14 men and 28 women, aged 40-76 years) were enrolled in a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial. They received 5 g of a nutritional supplement or placebo, twice daily orally for a period of 3 weeks. At baseline and after 3 weeks, blood was collected for measurement of serum GH and IGF-I levels and mood and cognitive function were tested. The nutritional supplement ingestion for 3 weeks was found to increase serum GH levels with 70% relatively to placebo, whereas circulating IGF-I levels did not change. It is concluded that an oral mixture of glycine, glutamine and niacin can enhance growth hormone secretion in healthy middle-aged and elderly subjects.

Glutamine and HIV
Glutamine-antioxidant nutrient supplementation can increase body weight, body cell mass, and intracellular water when compared with placebo in HIV patients.
   Glutamine is helpful in HIV patients who are receiving certain types of anti-viral medicines.

L-glutamine supplementation improves nelfinavir-associated diarrhea in HIV-infected individuals.
Huffman FG, Walgren ME.
Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33172, USA.
HIV Clin Trials. 2003 Sep-Oct;4(5):324-9.
To determine whether L-glutamine decreases the severity of nelfinavir-associated diarrhea in HIV-infected individuals. Other endpoints include the effect on quality of life, muscle-wasting syndrome, CD4 counts, and viral load. HIV-infected patients with nelfinavir-associated diarrhea for >1 month were randomized to receive L-glutamine 30 g/day or placebo for 10 days in a prospective, double-blind, crossover study. Diarrhea was measured on a scale ranging from grade 0 (no diarrhea) to grade 4 (severe diarrhea, > 7 stools/day). Quality of life was assessed by the Medical Outcome Study (MOS) HIV questionnaire. Twenty-five participants completed the study. There was a significant difference between the L-glutamine and placebo arms on the mean grade of diarrhea (0.762 vs. 1.850, p <.01) when placebo was administered first. When L-glutamine was administered first, there was a significant crossover effect, with similar mean grades of diarrhea in the two groups. There was also a significant difference between L-glutamine and placebo in the mean change in MOS scores from baseline. There were no significant differences between treatment groups for the other endpoints. In this population of HIV-positive participants, L-glutamine 30 g/day significantly reduced the severity of nelfinavir-associated diarrhea and produced improved quality of life compared with placebo.

Glutamine in Sports
Short-term ingestion of glutamine does not enhance weightlifting performance in resistance-trained men.
   Heavy exercise induces impairment of lymphocyte function. Ten male athletes participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study. Each athlete performed bicycle exercise for 2 h at 75% of maximum O(2) consumption on 2 separate days. Glutamine or placebo supplements were given orally during and up to 2 hours post-exercise. Most lymphocyte subpopulations decreased 2 h after exercise. Glutamine supplementation abolished the post-exercise decline in plasma glutamine concentration but had no effect on lymphocyte trafficking, Natural killer cell activities, T cell proliferation, catecholamines, growth hormone, insulin, or glucose. This study does not support the idea that glutamine plays a mechanistic role in exercise-induced immune changes.
   The combination of glutamine and creatine increases muscle mass and power.

Glutamine Summary
Glutamine appears be helpful in those with cancer, HIV, or other medical conditions that lead to a catabolic state, but does not seem to play a significant role (by itself) in those who are healthy or provide any significant enhancement in athletic performance.

Glutamine supplement questions
Q. I am a vegan please tell me about the ingredients glutamine supplement .Is it made from fish or another animal product?
   A. This glutamine product has a capsule made of gelatin and is not a vegetarian supplement. However, you have the option to pull on both sides of the capsule and empty the contents in water or juice and thus not ingest the gelatin. Glutamine is made synthetically and is not from an animal source.

Q. Is glutamine supplement helpful in muscular dystrophy?
   A. See this webpage on muscular dystrophy.

l Glutamine supplier, press release
Worldwide Demand for L-Glutamine - Kyowa Hakko (New York, NY) December 22, 2006 – The increasing worldwide demand and rising energy costs for the production of L-Glutamine at Kyowa Hakko's facility (BioKyowa, Inc.) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has resulted in a price increase for all oral grade forms of L-Glutamine from Kyowa Hakko USA. According to Charlie Kotani, president of Kyowa Hakko USA, prices are increased $1.00/kilo, effective January 1, 2007.
“L-Glutamine becomes an essential amino acid when the body is subjected to metabolic stress such as surgical trauma or disease conditions. Under such conditions, it is important to ensure adequate intakes in order to meet the increased physiological demands created by these situations.” stated Kotani. Kyowa Hakko is an international health ingredients manufacturer and world leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and food products. The maker of the branded ingredients Cognizin Citicoline, Resilen Hyaluronic Acid , Lumistor L-Hydroxyproline, Kyowa CoQ10 and Setria Glutathione, Kyowa offers manufacturers and formulators one of the industry’s most extensive lines of over 50 amino acids and related compounds, including D-Amino acids and branch-chain amino acids, as well as nucleic acids, bio-products and fine chemicals.

back to index yohimbe bark