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Dietary L-glutamine does not improve lymphocyte metabolism or function in exercise-trained rats
L D Shewchuk1, V E Baracos, C J Field
1Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|April 1, 1997
Summary
Regular, nonexhaustive exercise and glutamine supplementation did not alter plasma glutamine or immune cell metabolism. Glutamine supplementation reduced splenic cytolytic activity in exercising rats, showing no added benefit.
Area of Science:
- Exercise immunology
- Nutritional science
- Immunometabolism
Background:
- Intense exercise can decrease glutamine, impacting immune function.
- The effects of regular, nonexhaustive exercise on immunity are less understood.
- Glutamine plays a role in immune cell metabolism and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of low-intensity regular exercise and dietary glutamine supplementation on plasma glutamine, lymphocyte metabolism, and immune function.
- To determine if glutamine supplementation offers benefits to exercise-trained animals.
Main Methods:
- Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to swim (2 or 4 h/day) or remained sedentary.
- Rats were fed diets with or without 2% glutamine supplementation.
- Plasma glutamine, lymphocyte phenotypes, splenocyte metabolism, and splenic cytolytic activity were measured.
Main Results:
- Exercise altered plasma amino acid concentrations but did not change plasma glutamine.
- Neither diet nor exercise affected lymphocyte phenotypes or splenocyte energy metabolism.
- Glutamine supplementation reduced splenic cytolytic activity in exercising rats.
Conclusions:
- Regular, nonexhaustive exercise and glutamine supplementation do not enhance immune function markers in rats.
- Glutamine supplementation may reduce splenic cytolytic activity in exercising rats, indicating no added benefit.
- Further research is needed to understand glutamine's role in exercise immunology.