Effects of supplementation with L-glutamine and L-alanine in the body composition of rats submitted to resistance exercise

Efeitos da suplementação com L-glutamina e L-alanina na composição corporal de ratos submetidos ao exercício resistido

Efectos de la suplementación con L-glutamina y L-alanina en la composición corporal de ratones sometidos a ejercicio de resistencia

Abstract

We investigated the effects of glutamine and alanine supplementation on body composition of rats submitted to resistance exercise. Wistar rats were submitted to eight-week of resistance exercise, which consisted of climbing a ladder with progressive loads (25–100% of body weight). In the last 21 days of training, animals were supplemented with L-glutamine and L-alanine, as a dipeptide or in their free form (DIP, GLN + ALA and ALA groups), or water (SED and CTRL groups). RE attenuated body weight gain and lipid contents of CTRL group (p < 0.05 vs. SED) and DIP supplementation promoted an increase in tibialis muscle weight, as well as in protein content (p < 0.05 vs. CTRL). Taken together, our data indicated that resistance exercise improves body composition and dipeptide potentiated the muscle hypertrophic effect.

KEYWORDS
Glutamine; Alanine; Resistance exercise; Body composition