The Acute Effect of L-glutamine and L-arginine Supplementation on Muscle Damage and Inflammation indicators in Response to Eccentric Resistance Exercise in non-athlete Men

Subject Areas : Physical Activity and Health

Adnan Fatahi ^{1 *}

1 - Academic staff

Received: 2023-07-02 Accepted : 2024-01-25 Published : 2024-02-04

Keywords: Eccentric Contraction, Amino Acids, Inflammation, Muscle Damage ,

Abstract :

The purpose of this research was to investigate the acute consumption of L-glutamine and L-arginine amino acid supplements effect on the muscle damage index and cytokine responses to eccentric contraction activity. To this end, 24 inactive healthy young men volunteered were randomly divided into two supplement and placebo groups. The subjects performed a session of eccentric contraction of knee extension at intensity of 70 percent of one repetition maximum. The subjects in the supplement group consumed L-glutamine-L-arginine for three days (12 g/day). Before supplementation, before, 24 and 48 hours after the exercise, blood samples were collected and used for creatine kinase (CK), interlukine-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) analysis. The results showed that three consecutive days of L-glutamine-L-arginine supplementation had no significant effect on the resting concentration of IL-6, TNF-α and creatine kinase in the blood circulation. Also, the results showed that in 24 hours after the exercise compared to pre-exercise, the concentration of IL-6, TNF-α and creatine kinase increased significantly in both groups, but these increases in the supplement group were significantly lower compared to the placebo group. Also, at 48 hours after the exercise, the concentration of creatine kinase and IL-6 in the placebo group remained at a high level, but in the supplement group, it returned to the baseline level significantly compared to the placebo group. However, the concentration of TNF-α in both groups were returned to the pre-exercise level at 48 hours after exercise. In the end, it can be concluded that L-glutamine-L-arginine supplementation reduces muscle damage along with the reduction of inflammatory cytokines in response to eccentric resistance exercise in inactive men.