Surface electromyography assessments of the vastus medialis and rectus femoris muscles and creatine kinase after eccentric contraction following glutamine supplementation

Abstract

Purpose: L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in human muscle and plays an important role in protein synthesis and can reduce the levels of inflammation biomarkers and creatine kinase (CK) after training sessions. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) develops after intense exercise and is associated with an inflammatory response. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of glutamine supplementation on surface electromyography activity of the vastus medialis muscle (VMM) and rectus femoris muscle (RFM) and levels of creatine kinase after an eccentric contraction. Methods: Seventeen healthy men (age: 22.35±2.27yr; body mass: 69.91± 9.78kg; height: 177.08±4.32cm) were randomly assigned to experimental (n=9) and control groups (n=8) in a double-blind manner. In both groups, subjects were given L-glutamine supplementation (0.1g.kg-1) or placebo three times a week for 4 weeks. Median frequency (MDF) and mean power frequency (MPF) for VMM and RFM muscles and also CK measurements were performed before, 24h and 48 h after a resistance training session. The resistance training included 6 sets of eccentric leg extensions to exhaustion with 75% of 1RM. Results: There was no significant difference between groups for MDF or MPF in VMM and RFM. The difference of CK level between the groups was also not significant. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that glutamine supplementation has no positive effect on muscle injury markers after a resistance training session. © 2014 by Sports Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, All rights reserved.