What is the difference between glutamine l glutamine

Whether the "L" prefix is present or not, all the glutamine that is found in our food or food supplements is L-glutamine because the mirror image of L-glutamine called D-glutamine for "dextro" or right has no nutritional value and is useful only for chemical lab research. D-Amino acids occur in nature in small amounts. All the amino acids that are made into proteins are L-amino acids, but some bacteria use D-amino acids in their cell walls to help them resist the natural antibiotics that are produced by other bacteria.

Mostly D-amino acids in foods are the product of bacterial fermentation and so are found in products such as yogurt and cheese. D-Amino acids in the amounts found in food are generally thought to be harmless to humans. One D-amino acid has been proposed to have benefits in the human body, not for protein synthesis but as a pain reliever. D-Phenylalanine, the mirror image of L-phenylalanine, is not normally found in the body but may have a pharmacological effect on the production of enkephalins, the natural pain relievers our bodies produce in high-stress situations.

The third World Congress on Pain recommended trials of D-Phenylalanine for pain relief, but unfortunately there have as yet been no "double-blind-placebo-controlled" studies, which are necessary to establish the credibility of a treatment for most clinicians. A mixture, DL-phenylalanine, is much more readily available than D-phenylalanine because it is cheaper and easier to make. Maintain a healthy immune system whilst promoting muscle growth.

Glutamine is a naturally occuring amino acid that is most abundant in the human body. Glutamine is considered to be a conditionally essential amino acid which, means that under certain conditions your body cannot produce enough so it must be provided through the diet, similar to the other nine essential amino acids.

As glutamine is an amino acid it acts as a building block of protein and it is found in common protein foods as well as some plant-based foods. Good sources of glutamine are found in:. Glutamine can also be supplemented in the diet as L-glutamine in powder form. The terms glutamine and L-glutamine is often used interchangeably in most of the information you will come across in regards to sports performance. The difference is within the chemical structure.

L-glutamine is an isomer of glutamine which means that it has a slightly different arrangement of atoms as a molecule. Our body can produce L-glutamine and it is also found in food and in its isolated form as a dietary supplement.

Glutamine plays an important role in multiple physiological functioning of our bodies in a healthy state at rest, during strenuous physical exercise and periods of illness and disease. Glutamine is the preferred fuel source of our gastrointestinal cells that are responsible for maintaining its structure and reducing gut mucosal atrophy which, is a physical change of the intestinal cells that can cause 1 :.

Intestinal permeability - how easily substances like water, electrolytes and waste products can pass through the walls of our intestines into our bloodstream and other areas of the body. Bacterial translocation - movement of bacteria through the intestinal wall to other sites including those considered sterile such as internal organs and our bloodstream.

Glutamine also has a positive effect on the secretion on immunoglobulin A IgA which provides further protection against bacterial translocation 1. Both, intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation can have a negative and serious impact on our overall health. Glutamine plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy immune system and recovery.

Our immune system defenses can be reduced with chronic high intensity training making us more susceptible to illness such as the common cold and other respiratory tract infections 2.

From a sports performance perspective, intestinal permeability increases as a response to high intensity exercise and long-term, a rise in catabolic processes 3,4. These processes include occasions where our skeletal muscle increases the release of amino acids, in particular glutamine and alanine, into our blood circulation 5. Catabolism can also occur from starvation. Reducing and preventing catabolism is important to maintain muscle mass and prevent your body from breaking it down to be utilised as a fuel source in various cellular processes.

Glutamine has been shown to assist in the absorption if water and some electrolytes in the bowel and so is a successful rehydration strategy 6. These findings warrant the need to investigate if the strategy is also appropriate for rehydration to address exercise induced dehydration. Specific situations involving illness, injury and stress can lead to a significant decrease in plasma levels of glutamine.

When this decrease is severe, it has been associated with increased mortality or death. In clinical studies, DL-Phenylphenyl worked faster and with fewer side effects and was about as effective as imipramine. You should always check with your health care provider before trying DL-phenylalanine. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. Support the Chronicle. Information is power. Support the free press, so we can support Austin.

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