Glutamine as an Ergogenic Aid essays

Glutamine as an Ergogenic Aid essays Glutamine is the most abundant non essential amino in the body. About 60% of amino acids found in the cell are made of glutamine. Those who support use of glutamine as an ergogenic aid argue that glutamine promotes optimal muscle growth and adaptation, and delays the onset of fatigue. The suggested dosage is no less than 5 grams at a time, but there are a few different ways of taking glutamine. Standard use is taking 5 to 10 grams after training, 5 to 10 grams at bedtime on training days, and 10-20 grams at bedtime on off days. Loading and maintenance is another suggested form of use. Loading lasts 5 to 7 days, where 20 to 40 grams are taken a day, broken into 5 to 10 gram dosages (including after training and bedtime). After this period of time, maintenance begins by continue with the recommendations for standard use(8). Online, the average price for a 1000 gram bottle of glutamine was around $70.00. The amount of glutamine in the cell affects cell volume. Increasing cell volume has been shown to help regulate protein and glycogen synthesis. So therefore, increasing the availability of glutamine in the cell would stimulate protein and glycogen resynthesis (2). When tissue is building and repairing, amino acids combine to form larger proteins. Glutamine serves as one of the main amino acids used for protein synthesis. Also, the nitrogen from glutamine can be used to form purines, pyrimides, and nucleotides, which are important in the synnthesizing of adenosine triphosphate. Glutamine also serves as a fuel source during exercise. When carbohydrate availability is low during the end of a hard workout, glutamine and other amino acids take over as fuel, as much as 10-20% of energy needs (3). Studies indicate that intense exercise decreases plasma glutamine levels. For example, it was reported that overtrained athletes had significantly lower (-8.5%) plasma glutamine level ...