The Effect of Free Glutamine and Peptide Ingestion on the Rate of Muscle Glycogen Resynthesis in Man

The present study investigated previous claims that ingestion of glutamine and of protein-carbohydrate mixtures may increase the rate of glycogen resynthesis following intense exercise. Eight trained subjects were studied during 3 h of recovery while consuming one of four drinks in random order. Drinks were ingested in three 500 ml boluses, immediately after exercise and then after 1 and 2 h of recovery. Each bolus of the control drink contained 0.8 g × kg^-1 body weight of glucose. The other drinks contained the same amount of glucose and 0.3 g × kg^-1 body weight of 1) glutamine, 2) a wheat hydrolysate (26 % glutamine) and 3) a whey hydrolysate (6.6 % glutamine). Plasma glutamine, decreased by approximately 20 % during recovery with ingestion of the control drink, no changes with ingestion of the protein hydrolysates drinks, and a 2-fold increase with ingestion of the free glutamine drinks. The rate of glycogen resynthesis was not significantly different in the four tests: 28 ± 5, 26 ± 6, 33 ± 4, and 34 ± 3 mmol glucosyl units × kg^-1 dry weight muscle × h^-1 for the control, glutamine, wheat- and whey hydrolysate ingestion, respectively. It is concluded that ingestion of a glutamine/carbohydrate mixture does not increase the rate of glycogen resynthesis in muscle. Glycogen resynthesis rates were higher, although not statistically significant, after ingestion of the drink containing the wheat (21 ± 8 %) and whey protein hydrolysate (20 ± 6 %) compared to ingestion of the control and free glutamine drinks, implying that further research is needed on the potential protein effect.

Key words:

Protein hydrolysates - insulin - exercise.

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