Glutamine and Arginine?

[Ect0m0rph]

Could someone please give me a little info on these 2 ammino acids. I'm going to give these a try. I currently found these 2 ammino acids w/ 500mg. How much of that should be taken a day? Has anybody trained w/ these before?

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Ect0m0rph

Could someone please give me a little info on these 2 ammino acids. I'm going to give these a try. I currently found these 2 ammino acids w/ 500mg. How much of that should be taken a day? Has anybody trained w/ these before?

Glutamine tips:
Use a glutamine peptide supplement especially right after a hard exercise session since glutamine stores in muscle can be depleted up to 40 percent after exhaustive exercise.

Load by taking 35 grams of glutamine daily* (5 grams one hour before training, 15 grams right after training, and then 15 grams before bedtime) for seven days. Then cut back to 15 grams daily (10 grams after a workout and 5 grams before bedtime).

Try not to consume too much sodium with your glutamine as sodium entering the muscle cell actually causes glutamine to be released into the blood stream (out of the muscle cell).

*These are recommended doses for a 200-pound man, so you'll need to adjust according to body weight. For active exercisers, try .175 grams of glutamine per pound of bodyweight (200 lbs X .175 grams = 35 grams). One heaping teaspoon of glutamine contains about 5 grams and one full tablespoon contains about 15 grams. Some glutamine products have scoops which average out to about 5 grams. Look for this information on the product label.

If you have any problems tolerating the glutamine as you increase the dose pull back to the dose you tolerated and stick with it for a week. You can mix glutamine into just about anything. Heat will not hurt it for the most part, but high acidic levels will cause the glutamine to convert to the far less useful amino acid called glutamic acid. Stick with mixing it in water, grape juice, apple juice, your protein shake, etc. Glutamine is helpful for recovery and muscle growth since it is the most abundant amino acid in skeletal muscle and plays a vital role in the function of the immune system.

Arginine Study....

Arginine is an amino acid which can have a powerful impact on growth hormone secretion. When arginine is given intravenously to patients recovering from surgery or trauma, it bolsters growth hormone production and dramatically lessens the loss of lean tissue. Some scientific studies have suggested that orally ingested arginine supplements can enhance gains in strength and muscle mass in athletes engaged in weight training.

To determine whether arginine can really help bodybuilders bulk up, researchers at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the US recently studied 12 male weight trainers. The men had been engaged in resistance weight training for at least two years, worked out from three to six times per week, and had not used anabolic steroids during their training. Individuals who were using amino acid supplements stopped taking them two weeks before the study began.

Subjects followed a standard, weight-maintenance diet for the first week of the study, with 55 per cent of calories coming from carbohydrate and 30 per cent from fat. During a subsequent 10-day period, the weight trainers consumed a hypocaloric diet which provided only 1700-1800 calories per day. This reduced intake is typical for bodybuilders who are trying to 'get ripped' (lose fat and become more sinewy).

During the 10 low-calorie days, half of the strength trainers consumed .2 grams of arginine per kilogram of body weight per day (about 1.6 total daily grams of the chemical). Half of the daily arginine was taken in the morning on an empty stomach; the other portion was consumed just before going to bed. A second group of bodybuilders abstained from arginine and swallowed only a placebo. Resistance training continued throughout the 17-day study (seven days of regular eating and 10 hypocaloric days) and was identical in the two groups.

At the end of the 10-day low-calorie period, both arginine and placebo ingesters had lost about seven pounds of weight. Body-fat levels dropped by a remarkable 16-20 per cent (from about 12 to around 10 per cent), while fat-free (muscle) weight held steady (compared to the placebo group, arginine supplementers did not augment muscle mass). In fact, muscle function declined during the 10-day period for both groups; biceps- and quadriceps-muscle strength dipped significantly.

Growth hormone levels WERE higher in the arginine group, but they didn't lead to larger muscles. It's possible that the growth hormone advances associated with arginine were too limited in amount - or too short in duration - to make any difference to muscle mass. However, it's also possible that the 10-day restriction in calories was too severe to permit any muscle-mass enhancement in the arginine people.

Since the arginine ingesters were not different from the placebo athletes, the Virginia scientists concluded that their findings do not support the use of oral arginine supplements by males involved in resistance weight training. Athletes engaged in strength training should also be aware that sharp reductions in food intake can trim away body fat, but they can also hurt performance. The athletes' biceps and quads were about 10-per cent weaker following their hypocaloric diets.

('The Effect of Oral Arginine During Energy Restriction in Male Weight Trainers,' Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 8(3), pp. 170-177, 1994)

Having used Arginine years ago with Ornithine and lysine, I didnt notice or gain any effects from it, but as for the new Arginine supplements I really cant say as I dont know anyone who has taken them..

[Ect0m0rph]

So it sounds like taking two 500mg pills of Glutamine and Arginine a day isn't enough. Should I stop taking these and invest in a high dosage since I dont want to be taking 10 pills a day.?

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Ect0m0rph

So it sounds like taking two 500mg pills of Glutamine and Arginine a day isn't enough. Should I stop taking these and invest in a high dosage since I dont want to be taking 10 pills a day.?

No dont stop taking them, Glutamine is normally sold in powder form, with a 5g scoop inside, just take two after training and one before you go to bed...

[Ect0m0rph]

Take 2 after my workout and 1 again before I go to bed?... Do I do this w/ both Glutamine and Arginine?

For Arginine ... take it an hour before you workout - the glutamine take it after you workout and at nightime if you can. The arginine will turn into nitric oxide so if you take before you workout, it should in theory assist you with your workouts.

[71 gto]

Originally Posted by Doug

Glutamine tips:

*These are recommended doses for a 200-pound man, so you'll need to adjust according to body weight. For active exercisers, try .175 grams of glutamine per pound of bodyweight (200 lbs X .175 grams = 35 grams). One heaping teaspoon of glutamine contains about 5 grams and one full tablespoon contains about 15 grams. Some glutamine products have scoops which average out to about 5 grams. Look for this information on the product label.

because of the equation you gave i should be taking about 36g of glutamine a day. is this when i am loading or after i have loaded. how should i split this up? 10 pre, 15 post, 10 before bed?

[Doug]

Originally Posted by 71 gto

because of the equation you gave i should be taking about 36g of glutamine a day. is this when i am loading or after i have loaded. how should i split this up? 10 pre, 15 post, 10 before bed?

Hi...have you forgotten already...

See post No 2 above...

Load by taking 35 grams of glutamine daily* (5 grams one hour before training, 15 grams right after training, and then 15 grams before bedtime) for seven days. Then cut back to 15 grams daily (10 grams after a workout and 5grams before bedtime).

[71 gto]

Originally Posted by Doug

Hi...have you forgotten already...

See post No 2 above...

Load by taking 35 grams of glutamine daily* (5 grams one hour before training, 15 grams right after training, and then 15 grams before bedtime) for seven days. Then cut back to 15 grams daily (10 grams after a workout and 5grams before bedtime).

ok that is what i thought, but i was a bit confused by the wording (reading aint my thing....more of a math type)

[Doug]

Originally Posted by 71 gto

ok that is what i thought, but i was a bit confused by the wording (reading aint my thing....more of a math type)

lol...Any questions post them up, anytime...