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2004/03/21, 05:28 AM
This is a Q and A from AST's Paul Cribb, Director of research.
What is the difference between glutamine, glutamate and glutamic acid? Are they different amino acids used in different ways or are they the same thing?
A: The answer is yes, they are each technically different amino acids, but they are basically the same. Confused? Don't be. It's pretty simple once explained.
The only difference between glutamine and glutamate is one nitrogen group (an amine group-NH2) attached to the carbon skeleton is replace with a carboxyl group (COOH). Glutamate is the precursor (next step) to glutamine formation. This small difference (of that extra nitrogen group) is extremely significant.
GL3 is a very important muscle building supplement.
That extra nitrogen group determines the fate of the entire molecule within the body. Put very simply, glutamine is used primarily for cell anabolism (growth and regeneration), where as glutamate gets shuttled into the mitochondria to be utilized (oxidized) as a fuel or energy source. Glutamic acid is simply glutamate in solution. In physiological processes, glutamate and glutamic acid are interchangeable.
The reattachment of that nitrogen group (formation of glutamine) requires energy and will only occur under the right metabolic circumstances. Only glutamine triggers anabolic mechanisms within cells.
The other factor to throw in here is that the cells of the immune system also use glutamine as a primary fuel. These cells oxidize glutamine into glutamate at a rapid and unrelenting rate. Muscle loss is most likely a result of your cellular glutamine being utilized as fuel (glutamate) and not for cell growth. This iss why supplementation with glutamine is so important. It literally swings the pendulum back towards cell anabolism and muscle growth.
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