Glucose, a carbohydrate, remains a quickly digesting sugar. One of 20 amino acids, glutamine helps form proteins by combining with other amino acids. Both compounds interact to a degree within your body, but only under certain conditions. No additional negative effect occurs from consuming them simultaneously. Consult a health care practitioner before starting any diet or using a dietary supplement.
Glucose
Very few sugars digest as rapidly as glucose. On the glycemic index, a rating scale that evaluates how quickly a sugar will raise your blood sugar levels, glucose has a rating of 100. The scale itself runs from 1 to 100, with one being no effect. Glucose remains the standard by which all other forms of carbohydrates get measured to test their potential effectiveness on your blood sugar. Only artificial sugars created for a specific purpose can raise your blood glycogen levels more quickly.
Use
Glucose tablets -- carried by diabetics -- can quickly raise your blood sugar. Otherwise, glucose supplies only a quick burst of energy that you need to use. If you do not use it, you will store it, generally as body fat. Glucose can be used specifically following an intense workout. After training your insulin levels climb and your blood and muscle glycogen levels drop. At this time, supplementing with glucose can restore depleted muscle glycogen levels without the same chance of being stored as fat, which results in quicker recovery, according to a 2003 study published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research."
Glutamine
One of the amino acids that combines to form a complete protein, glutamine does not get classified as an essential amino acid. Your body produces enough glutamine from glutamate and amino for general use, but under certain conditions this may not be enough. Glutamine remains the most abundant amino acid in your system, although stresses of various types, including illness and the stress of exercise, can cause your glutamine levels to drop. Glutamine commonly occurs in your diet in all forms of protein.
Supplementation
Glutamine supplementation, while promoted as enhancing efforts at muscle building, does not have any conclusive research supporting this use. Glutamine does work as an antioxidant, removing free radicals and waste products from your system. Glutamine has been used to selectively improve nitrogen balance, which promotes would healing, following surgery. In a 1998 study in the "Annals of Surgery," patients who were given glutamine supplements shortened their hospital stay with no ill effects from glutamine use.
References
- "Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations"; Thomas M. Devlin; 2010
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; Carbohydrate Supplementation and Resistance Training; G.G. Haff, et al.; February 2003
- "Annals of Surgery"; Total Parenteral Nutrition with Glutamine Dipeptide After Major Abdominal Surgery...; B.J. Morlion, et al.; February 1998
