History Of Glutamine

Although glutamine is classified by nutritionists as a "non-essential amino acid", it is probable that no single amino acid has received as much attention in clinical nutrition research and increasingly this interest has spread to sports nutrition.

In order to understand how a "non-essential amino acid" can attract so much attention it is necessary to understand where the term "non-essential" comes from. An amino acid is only considered essential if it is not possible for the body to make the particular amino acid when there is adequate supply of other "essential" amino acids. Since it is possible to make glutamine from many different amino acids, including glutamic acid, valine and isoleucine, it is not considered essential however the fact that the body has a number of ways to produce glutamine may serve to illustrate its importance.

Glutamine is also a precursor for many other amino acids; an important fuel for the immune system, the brain and gut mucosal cells, and it is at the heart of a mechanism controlling acid:base balance. It may also be a direct regulator of protein synthesis and regulation, thus glutamine is at the heart of a metabolic cross roads and its adequate supply is thus crucial for optimal functioning of the body.

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Glutamine has been used routinely in hospitals for the treatment of burn and other trauma patients where it has been shown to help improve immune function. Recently research has focused on the parallels between the trauma of "hospitalisation" and the trauma of exercise stress. Under these conditions the body's requirement for glutamine may exceed its capacity to produce it, and in these conditions glutamine may become "conditionally essential".

Glutamine is the largest store of amino acid in the body, with large amounts being stored in the muscle. Glutamine accounts for over 60% of the total intra-muscular amino acid pool. However, release rates are so high that even in resting muscle it is likely that all these stores would be used up within 7 hours if de-novo synthesis did not take place. During exercise release rates from muscle increase dramatically, leaving both muscle and plasma levels depleted for between hours and days depending on the duration and intensity of the exercise. Glutamine levels have been shown to be low in athletes with over training syndrome, and much recent research has focused on its role in the prevention of this syndrome.



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