For the first time, Sustamine’s effects were tested when consumed in an electrolyte-containing rehydration sports drink.
Photo © iStockphoto.com/shapecharge
Studies indicate that the amino acid L-glutamine enhances water and electrolyte absorption-a key boon for sports performance. Research also shows that Sustamine, a branded L-alanyl-L-glutamine dipeptide ingredient, is absorbed up to 200% better than standard L-glutamine itself. For purposes of sports nutrition, however, Sustamine’s effects have never been tested when consumed in an electrolyte-containing rehydration sports drink. In a recent study, University of Central Florida researchers explored whether adding low and high doses of Sustamine to a Gatorade G2 beverage helped trained endurance athletes run longer before becoming exhausted.
The study was performed on 12 endurance-trained men. Subjects were tested on four separate occasions separated by a one week–minimum washout period. During each trial, subjects were first made to run for one hour at 75% of their VO2 peak (milliliters of oxygen per body weight utilized per minute) and were then asked to run to exhaustion at 90% of their VO2 peak.
During one trial, subjects did not hydrate with any beverage. During another trial, during the one-hour run, they consumed 1 L of Gatorade alone (250 ml every 15 minutes). In the two other trials, subjects drank the Gatorade beverage, but this time supplemented with either a low (600 mg/L) or high (2 g/L) dose of Sustamine.
Compared to no hydration, there was a significant difference in time to exhaustion when subjects consumed the drinks containing either the low or high dose of Sustamine.
But researchers found only a 12.7% improvement in time to exhaustion with the high-dose Sustamine drink compared to the no-Sustamine drink, which they said was not a statistically significant difference, suggesting “that rehydration alone may have accounted for a majority of the improvement in run performance.”
Still, they noted, “this 12.7% improvement in performance could make a difference in a competitive endurance event.”
The researchers did find that plasma glutamine concentrations were significantly higher at 45 minutes into the Sustamine trials; during the high-dose test, these levels remained higher throughout the one-hour run, indicating that a higher dose of glutamine may be necessary to sustain higher glutamine levels beyond 45 minutes of exercise.
“For endurance athletes such as long-distance runners, the addition of Sustamine in hydration protocols may allow for longer times before exhaustion sets in,” concluded one of the study researchers, Jay Hoffman, PhD, and a professor of sports and exercise at the University of Central Florida, in a press release.
Sustamine is supplied by Kyowa Hakko USDA (New York City), which sponsored the study.
Jennifer Grebow
Editor-in-Chief
Nutritional Outlook magazine
jennifer.grebow@ubm.com
McCormack WP et al., “Effects of l-Alanyl-l-Glutamine ingestion on one-hour run performance,” Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Published online June 22, 2015.
New study shows that vitamin K2 as MK-7 may have neuroprotective qualities
May 17th 2024Researchers examined the effects of MK-7 and menaquinone-4 (MK-4) on neuroblastoma cells to understand how different forms of vitamin K2 impact the expression of genes involved in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.
Judge in CRN’s complaint against NY denies the State’s motion to dismiss
May 14th 2024New York State's motion to dismiss CRN's lawsuit against the law banning the sale of weight management and muscle-building supplements to minors has been partially denied, allowing CRN to proceed with its First Amendment Claim.