Glutamine is an amino acid that is an amide of glutamic acid. Glutamic acid contains 1 nitrogen molecule and an extra acid group where the second nitrogen molecule is located in glutamine. The molecular structure of glutamic acid is similar to that of glutamine, pyroglutamate, and piracetam (although its actions are quite different). Before you elevate glutamic acid in the exercising athlete, consider the numerous toxicity issues with overdose. A dosage of 2,000 mg of supplemental glutamine per day increases plasma glutamine levels by +19% in people who undertake intensive exercise, thereby restoring glutamine levels to normal ranges. A dosage of 5-10 grams of supplemental glutamine per day prevents the suppression of the immune system in people who participate in endurance exercise. Some studies have demonstrated that a dosage of 2 gramsglutamine per day increases human growth hormone (hgh) levels by up to 400%. This appears to work well in younger than in older athletes but after 3-6 weeks the body reduces its hgh release adaptively...
   
Glutamine converts within the body to glutamic acid. Glutamine must be converted to glutamic acid, otherwise it cannot pass through the blood-brain barrier - within the brain (glutamic acid is converted to glutamine when an additional nitrogen atom is added to glutamic acid and glutamine is converted to glutamic acid when the additional nitrogen atom is removed from glutamine). Glutaminase is a type of endogenous hydrolase enzyme found in the kidneys. During the urea cycle, glutaminase catalyzes the breakdown of glutamine into ammonia and glutamic acid. Glutaminase then catalyses the breakdown of glutamine into ammonia and glutamic acid.

Oral Glutamine  = Endogenous Glutaminase
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Glutamic Acid

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Gamma Aminobutric Acid GABA

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Succinic Semialdehyde

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Gamma Hydroxybutric Acid GHB

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Transamination

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Gamma Aminobutric Acid GABA

Glutamic acid is a non-essential, acidic, glucogenic amino acid. Glutamic Acid may also be synthesized within the body from Arginine, Ornithine and Proline. Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) facilitates the endogenous production of glutamic acid (one molecule of AKG combines with one molecule of ammonia to form glutamic acid). Vitamin b6 is an essential cofactor for the manufacture of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) from glutamic acid and for the conversion of glutamic acid to aspartic acid.Glutamine is or may be manufactured endogenously from a BCAA, isoleucine. Exercise causes depletion of the body's glutamine reserves (a single bout of non-intensive exercise can cause a 45-50% reduction in plasma glutamine compared to pre-exercise plasma glutamine levels). A single bout of endurance exercise can cause a 50% reduction in plasma glutamine for up to six days compared to pre-exercise plasma glutamine levels).

Some researchers advise against glutamine oral dose during exercise due to the excess initial ammonia release prior to its nitrogen-scavenging activities 2.5-3.0 hours post dose.

Reference
Some of this material from Software from In-Tele-Health © 2002 (from Hyperhealth Pro CD-ROM)

Best wishes and kindest regards,

Dr. Bill Misner, Ph.D., C.S.M.T.
AAMA Board Certified Alternative Medicine Practitioner 
Certification #38272409

-- In sportscience@yahoogroups.com, "Vegan Bodybuilding" <pete@...> wrote:

>
> Hi there,
>
> I don't know if anyone's stumbled across any research on this they could
> point me towards, but as you probably all know BCAA's needs B6 & glutamic
> acid as co-factors to be burned as energy.
> What I was wondering was L-glutamine is glutamic acid with B6 (& ammonia)
> added, so if you took BCAA's with l-glutamine would the l-glutamine be
> broken down (either in the digestive system or within the body somewhere),
> or would you need to find a separate source of B6 & glutamic acid to get the
> best effect when supplementing with BCAA's???
> Sorry to be asking such a basic question, but I haven't been able to find
> the answer anywhere....
>
> Pete www.veganbodybuilding.org
>