Immune response and ergogenic of glutamine supplementation: a review

Abstract

Introduction: The supplemented associated with sport and physical activity are being increasingly studied, especially glutamine, strategy for an immunological improvement after intense workouts and may have a ergogenic action. Objective: To analyze articles that address this supplementation as an ergogenic aid, and to improve post exercise immunological profile. Materials and methods: We used articles from Scielo databases, Pub Med and Bireme, with descriptors glutamine, glutamine and exercise, glutamine and ergogenia, glutamine and immunology and exercise and immunology. The analysis was made in 28 articles, 1 doctoral thesis and 3 books. Results: The results of the above analysis, are arranged in Table 1. Discussion: Several articles discuss supplementation of glutamine as strategy employed in exercise and sport, however, most of these cannot elucidate the actual functionality of exogenous glutamine for recovery immune after intense workouts. As for the ergogenic effect, studies have reported that glutamine dipeptide increases time to exhaustion, but said more studies are needed. It was also found that glutamine dipeptide seems like a good strategy because it increases serum glutamine availability. Conclusion: Given the above, there are few studies with a specific population of athletes / sportsmen involving supplementation of glutamine, requiring more scientific criteria, especially with respect to the experimental design and use of protocols that allow greater validity to the studies.