Amino acids this autumn...

What a sensational summer! Hopefully you managed to reach your goals, stick to your training routine despite the heat, and keep yourself well hydrated with the help of Endura Rehydration Formula. So what does autumn hold for you?

If you’re an athlete winding down from peak season, ask yourself: are you getting the most out of your supplement regimen? Take this time to make your goal more than just cramming your training sessions into the shorter days. Use this time of year to repair, recover and rebound faster with glutamine!

Go glutamine!

Researchers have defined glutamine as a conditionally essential* amino acid because your body cannot synthesise sufficient amounts of glutamine during periods of stress, such as endurance training.¹ Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your body – it makes up approximately 50% of the free amino acid pool in your muscle tissue. Your muscles contain so much glutamine because this key amino acid plays a major role in muscle repair and is highly anabolic.

Glutamine is also important for energy production. Your skeletal muscles rely on stored glycogen for sustained energy, and research shows that oral glutamine supplementation therefore increases muscle glycogen.²

Glutamine – fuel your muscles, brain and immune system

Glutamine is also essential for the proper functioning of a large number of tissues and cells in the body. Glutamine:

• Is essential for optimal muscle recovery,
• Helps maintain muscle mass,
• Supports brain function,
• Helps maintain a healthy pH balance in the body,
• Maintains a healthy digestive tract, and
• Supports the immune system.

Maintain muscle mass

During times of high demand, such as endurance training, if dietary glutamine intake is insufficient, your body will get the glutamine it needs from your skeletal muscle. Over time this can have a significant impact on muscle repair and recovery and can significantly impact your athletic performance. Research shows that after intense, prolonged exercise, the glutamine concentration in plasma declines, leaving you at risk of glutamine deficiency. Furthermore, low glutamine levels have been described in athletes with overtraining syndrome.³

I’m not stressed, I’m just busy...

Everybody is exposed to an element of stress every day, but did you know that being an endurance athlete adds an extra element of stress to your day? All your intense training can put a strain on your body physically. Now add the everyday stress of things like traffic congestion, work, etc, and your glutamine levels may start to suffer. During times of stress, glutamine present in the muscles is used up at a quicker rate to make energy and repair tissues. As a result, stress and/or illness can lead to the loss of skeletal muscle. As a serious athlete, to prevent this happening, take extra glutamine every day.

Glutamine influences immunity

Glutamine is also required for strong immune function. The ability of glutamine to nourish your immune cells may account for its positive impact on immunity. Healing and recovery from infections like colds and flus is dependent on glutamine. Therefore, a depletion of glutamine in your cells may ultimately inhibit optimal immunity.⁴

In one study, 200 runners and rowers were given a placebo (i.e. sugar pill) or 2000 mg of oral glutamine, two hours after exercise. In the seven days following the exercise, 81% of the glutamine-supplemented group was infection-free compared to only 49% in the placebo group.⁵ Further research has found supplementing with glutamine significantly decreases the incidence of illnesses like colds and ‘flus in endurance athletes.⁶ This is good news for any of you who may find you are more susceptible to infections during times of intense training.

What about dietary sources of glutamine?

You might have a great diet, rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and adequate amounts of protein and carbohydrates, but are you utilising it and getting enough glutamine? Even if you are eating a well balanced diet that contains enough protein, factors such as impaired absorption, infection, trauma, stress and imbalances of other nutrients can all affect the availability of amino acids in the body. Many plant and animal sources contain glutamine, but it is destroyed by cooking. If eaten raw, spinach and parsley are good sources of glutamine. As an athlete, if you are not a fan of eating raw spinach and parsley salad regularly, think about supplementing with glutamine.

Endura Glutamine

Endura Glutamine is a micronised, non-synthetic, 100% natural form of L-glutamine fermented from glucose. L-glutamine is the naturally occurring isomer of the amino acid glutamine. Micronisation is the process by which the particle sizes of glutamine are reduced in order to enhance absorption and boost bioavailability to most effectively assist in the production of muscle protein and replenish depleted glutamine stores. For best results take 3.5 g (1 heaped teaspoon) of Endura Glutamine daily and/or immediately after exercise, ideally mixed with Endura Rehydration Formula. Two to three serves daily can be given for one week to replenish low levels of glutamine.

Keep well and excel!

Supplementing with the amino acid glutamine can significantly improve your body’s ability to repair and recover after endurance training. Low plasma glutamine levels are often common amongst endurance athletes and this can significantly lengthen recovery time, cause muscle weakness, fatigue and compromise immune function. If this sounds like you, Endura Glutamine can help!

* Meaning the body is capable of manufacturing glutamine under normal conditions, however if supply can’t meet demand (e.g. if you are exercising intensely most days of the week), then glutamine must be obtained from dietary sources.

* References available on request