Effects of Glutamine Feeding Upon Some Aspects of the Immune System of Air Force Personnel Undergoing Intensive Training

摘要

This was a prospective study with the goal of the effects of long-term supplementary feeding of glutamine versus a placebo on some aspects of immune cell function, on the incidence of infections and on mood. Highly trained U.S. Air Force cadets, who were also elite runners, were selected for this study because their life style is generally well regulated, thus decreasing the possibility of extraneous variables. For all subjects the increase in white blood cells after VO2(sub max) tests, although much less marked, was similar to that normally observed after a marathon. An increase in IL-6 indicates inflammatory and immune response initiated by injury or possibly infection. A marked decrease in neutrophil activity was observed in these cross-country runners after VO2(sub max) tests, compared with that observed in other samples during training. There was a decrease in the IL-2 cytokine in the two T- lymphocyte subsets (T-helper cells - CD4; and T-cytotoxic cells - CD8) in the glutamine group compared with the placebo group in the sample taken halfway through the study.