GO Ergogenic Sports Fuel

The carbohydrate energy fuel with electrolytes to give you ultimate performance in the heat. GO is maltodextrin and fructose based, rather than sucrose (table sugar) based to ensure that it is light on the stomach and clean in taste whilst providing a great source of carbohydrate energy. It has all the essential electrolytes (salts), Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Chloride for rapid hydration and electrolyte replacement. GO is available in 3 great flavours so everyone can find a drink they enjoy to drink.

Available in watermelon, blackcurrant, lemon/lime and tropical flavors.

Typical Ingredients

Maltreatment (produced by partial hydrolysis of a special variety of maize, 98% glucose polymers), Fructose, Natural Flavor, Electrolytes, Aspartame. Typical Values per 80g serving Energy 1300kj/287kcal, Carbohydrate 76g (of which sugars 13g), Protein trace, Fat 0g, sodium 400mg, chloride 650mg, calcium 45mg, magnesium 10mg, potassium 120mg.

Typical Values per 80g serving

Energy 1300kj/287kcal, Carbohydrate 76g (of which sugars 13g), Protein trace, Fat 0g, sodium 400mg, chloride 650mg, calcium 45mg, magnesium 10mg, potassium 120mg.

All Science in Sport products are manufactured in-house and are drug-free.

PSP22 complex carbohydrate energy fuel.

PSP22 is the complex carbohydrate energy fuel for high-energy performance. It is available in a range of great tasting flavors and is ideal when energy requirement is high. PSP22 is made from a very high specification maltreatment, which is over 98% glucose polymers. This means that PSP22 exerts a very low osmotic pressure even at high concentrations. It is therefore very light on the stomach and very easy to drink. PSP22 has become the mainstay of many athletes and sports peoples nutritional

strategy, it can be used to help load up prior to events and as a recovery drink, post event, though its main use is during. PSP22 also tastes great!

Fully energize your performance!?

The choice to give you extra energy during exercise. Ideal for long work outs, carob loading or when you need that extra boost. PSP22 is very versatile and can be used at high concentrations to give you the ultimate energy drink. PSP22 should be your choice for a fast and sustained energy boost. Ideal before, during and after exercise.

    .    High energy

    .    Light on stomach

    .    Low optimality

    .    Multiple energy sources - Maltreatment and fructose

Available in orange, blackcurrant, lemon and original flavors.

Typical Ingredients

Maltreatment (produced by partial hydrolysis of a special variety of maize, 98% glucose polymers), Fructose, Natural Flavor, Aspartame. Original contains only Maltreatment

Typical Values per 100g serving

Energy 1683kj/371kcal, Carbohydrate 99g, of which sugars 6g, Protein 0g, Fat 0g.

All Science in Sport products are manufactured in-house and are drug-free.

The original recovery formulation.

Rego - the Re-Energizing energy Fuel with micro-nutrients to improve recovery and boost adaptation to exercise.

REGO combines a special mix of complex carbohydrates, fructose and protein, which has been shown to give a rapid improvement in recovery from hard exercise. REGO is the ideal post exercise drink and is especially useful after hard training sessions. REGO was inspired by Chris Boardman who had experimented mixing our carbohydrate energy drink (PSP22) with protein powder. REGO has been used by him, and many other top athletes and sportsmen since its launch in 1995.

Available in banana, chocolate, strawberry and NEW Vanilla flavours.

New REGO variants now available as the PKS System!

Introducing the world´s first integrated protein system, which utilizes the absorption characteristics of different proteins in order to maximize training gains.

Typical Ingredients

Maltodextrin (produced by partial hydrolysis of a special variety of maize, 98% glucose polymers), Soya Protein Isolate, Fructose, Vitamins and Minerals, Xanthan, Lecithin, Natural Flavour and Colouring, Aspartame.

Typical Values per 100g serving

Energy 1423kj/314kcal, Carbohydrate 55g, Protein 27g, Fat trace, Vitamin A 27ug, B1 1.4mg,B2 1.6mg, B3 18mg, B5 6mg, B6 1.8mg, B12 2ug, C 55mg, D 3ug, E 6.4mg, K 30ug, Bioflavenoids 5.5mg, Folic Acid 270ug, Biotin140ug, sodium 578mg, chloride 458mg, calcium 1091mg, magnesium 364mg, zinc 14mg, potassium 223mg, chromium180ug, iron14mg, selenium 20ug, molybdenum 20ug, phosphorous 244 mg, manganese 2.7mg, copper 450ug, iodine 50mg, flourine450ug.

Science in Sport is continually striving to innovate and improve products to assist all athletes to reach their goals and maintain its position as leaders in sports nutrition.

All Science in Sport products are manufactured in-house and are drug-free.

Synergy of nature and science.

Combining a scientific approach with natural ingredients to meet the nutritional challenges of athletes.

Convenient - Fast - Naturally nutritious

GO-Bars were created out of the desire to provide a healthy, nutritious and delicious snack that´s ideal for athletes and people with active lifestyles. All the existing energy bars seemed to be made from over-processed gloop, with added synthetic vitamins in the hope of making them healthy again.

We searched out nature's richest sources of the relevant nutrients that we could combine to create a great tasting, naturally nutritious snack.

Every GO-Bar is packed with fruit - the equivalent of about two whole portions of fruit from your 5 a day.

Every GO-Bar is made on our own dedicated production line, so we know everything that goes in. We combine real fruit and fruit juices with cereals and soya nuggets to create a chewy textured bar.

Organic Oats

To avoid unwelcome contaminants we have sourced organic oats since 2002.

Natural Fruit Juice

Concentrated grape juice is the prime basis of our bars - so much so it takes 65g of whole grape juice to produce a 65g bar!

Grape juice has a whole host of phytonutrients that help the body run smoothly and efficiently. Indeed, it's anti-oxidant capacity far exceeds the levels of vitamins A, C & E that it contains; this is why we do not take short cuts by simply adding synthetic vitamins - they just don´t bring the same benefits.

Soya Protein

Nutritious Soya: soya is a great source of protein, naturally high in Glutamine which is particularly important for recovery and adaptation to exercise.

GM Free: Using Non-GM Identity Preserved Soya, we have always gone to great lengths to ensure all our ingredients are Non-GM.

Natural Flavours

concentrates extracted from real fruits, vanilla and cocoa beans.

Soya lecithin

lecithin is a key building block of cell membranes and protects them from oxidation. Furthermore, various studies (Brook et al. 1986, Spilburg et al. 2003) indicate that soy derived lecithin may positively affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood

Calcium Lactate

one of the highest bio-available forms of calcium, is found naturally on the surface of cheese. In order to keep our bars vegan

friendly we use calcium lactate derived from combining Lactic Acid with Calcium Carbonate (think White Cliffs of Dover).

What we don't put in...

No Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils - unbelievable but some companies are still putting these in their sports bars, we never have!

No Added Sugar - we don´t add any sugar, high fructose corn syrup, glycerol, glucose syrup, or any other refined simple sugars.

No Artificial Flavours, Preservatives, or Colours

And each bar comes in at about just 2% fat!*

*Apple & Blackcurrant 2%, Tropical fruit 2%, Cherry & Vanilla 2%, Chewy Banana 2%, Chocolate & Orange 4%

There is an alternative to confectionery and fast food - GO Bar. GO Bar's contain less than 2g of fat per big 65g bar and will give your body a healthier choice that really is a break from the norm. Never has healthy food tasted so good yet been packed with so much natural goodness.

Approximately 15% of the calories are derived from protein and over 70% from carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is delivered from several sources including oats, rice, corn and real fruit to provide a consistent energy release, the oats also provide a good source of soluble fiber.

Available in Chocolate/Orange, Apple/Blackcurrant, Chewy Banana, Cherry Vanilla and NEW Tropical Fruit flavours.

NEWS JUST IN!

GO BAR wins Runner's World 'Best Overall Bar' in their recent review of energy bars!

Typical Ingredients

Grape Juice, Maltodextrin, Varieties of Fruit depending on bar, Soya Protein, Jumbo oats, Puffed Rice, Puffed Oats, Calcium Lactate, Lecithin, Natural Flavour, Vitamins and Minerals. Approx.

Typical Values per 100g serving

Energy 1300-1500kj/300-360kcal, Carbohydrate 65-68g, Protein 11g, Fat 1-5g.

All Science in Sport products are manufactured in-house and are drug-free.

Go Gel - Isotonic energy in a convenient fast-flow gel.

Science in Sport, leaders in sports nutrition, introduces the world's first isotonic energy gel. Each handy palm size GO Gel sachet contains 25g of isotonic carbohydrate energy.

That's enough energy for 20 to 30 minutes of exercise

and because it's isotonic, it will still deliver energy without the need for extra water.

What's more the unique gel structure of GO Gel goes down easily, so you don't get that sticky throat feeling associated with other gels.

Available in Orange, Blackcurrant and Tropical flavours.

"The advantage of an isotonic solution is that it's already in balance with your body's fluids, which means it slips down your throat as easily as a normal drink. It´s also very light on your stomach and doesn't need diluted with extra water. It's so good, it´s disconcerting."

Runners World, February 2000.

   -   Start your race on full power

   -   Isotonic for on the move energy

   -   Gets you out of Trouble and Back Home

   -   Easy to Use and Digest

Go Gels increase endurance by 45% - it's official

World´s First Isotonic Energy Gel, Unique Patent Pending Formulation

The racing guys at British Cycling already fully aware of the benefits of GO-Gel because SiS are the official nutrition partner and guys like Bradley Wiggins have used them to win Olympic medals. Marathon runners and triathletes love them in races because you don't have to wait to a drinks station to get some extra fuel on board when you need it.

GO-Gels have also been used by Worlds Greatest living explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes

SiS also gained awards on the back of developing the World´s first isotonic Energy Gel, receiving the Queens Award for Enterprise in the innovation category.

This new study proves the effectiveness in Football Simulation, making sports drinks old fashioned never mind a slice of orange and a cup of tea!!

Many professional football clubs run accounts with SiS but can´t usually say because of long standing sponsorship agreements, so GO-Gels remain a secret to the thousands of Sunday league and age group football clubs. They are much more convenient and easy to take than even an energy drink and this latest study shows they are probably more effective.

Stephen D. Patterson and Susan C. Gray

Carbohydrate-Gel Supplementation and Endurance Performance During Intermittent High-Intensity Shuttle Running, International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2007, 17, 445-455

GO-GEL Receives Queen's Award for Innovation

The Queen's Award innovation category recognizes companies that have demonstrated commercial success through innovative products or services. GO-Gel, the world's first isotonic energy gel, uses a unique formulation that makes it possible for athletes and sportspeople to take on board significant carbohydrate without compromising hydration.

   -    60ml Fast Flow Gel

   -    Suitable for Vegetarians

   -    12 Month Shelf Life

   -    Enough Energy for 20-30 mins Exercise

Typical Ingredients

Water, maltodextrin, natural flavours, gelling agents : xanthan gum and gellan gum, citric acid, sodium citrate, sweetner : acesulfame K, preservative : potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate, sodium chloride, riboflavin.

Typical Values per 100ml (each gel 60ml)

Energy 612kj/144kcal, Carbohydrate 36g - of which sugars (trace), Protein (trace), Fat (none).

Smart 1 Energizer gel

Caffeine stimulation that's easy to swallow

The latest innovation from leaders in sports nutrition Science in Sport.

Smart 1 Gel combines our unique GO-Gel technology to deliver energy with a whole host of extras.

Imagine a caffeine kick helped along with blood that flows easier, down even the smallest capillaries, delivering more nutrients and stimulation to active muscles

Caffeine to give you that extra stimulation.

Blackcurrant anthocyanins, a potent antioxidant, for improved night vision - great for drivers and night events. High Caffeine levels are often associated with a blurring of vision and these anthocyanins may reduce this.

Citrus Bioflavenoids, another powerful antioxidant, has been shown to improve caffeine absorption, and work synergistically with the other antioxidants.

Together these functional ingredients will improve blood flow, protect against oxidative stress, improve night vision, improve alertness and reduce cramp and muscle strain.

...and don't forget because it´s based on award winning GO-Gel technology you get a rapidly absorbed carbohydrate energy boost!

All this functionality crammed into a great tasting berry flavour gel.

Available as individual sachets or in boxes of 30.

Make the smart choice and super-charge your performance!

During development Smart 1 gels have already powered victories in the premiere calendar, and on the continent. Team CSC were so impressed with the product during testing they made urgent plans on Easter Sunday to freight more test samples over for their successful attack on the Paris Roubaix.

Smart 1 has now been voted best nutritional product of the year by Runner's World Magazine.

Following in its first year on the market Smart 1 Energizer Gel was voted best nutritional product in the Runner's World Personal Best Awards 2008

Antioxidants and Caffeine

So effective are the anti-oxidants in Smart 1 at improving blood flow that they have been shown to improve night vision and lens refraction - surely beneficial in itself. High levels of caffeine consumption can have the negative effect of blurring vision and it is hoped that the anti-oxidant combination provided in Smart-1 gels will protect against this. The improved blood flow and circulation provided by the antioxidants, could further reduce fatigue by reducing neck and shoulder ache, often associated with sitting in the same place or position for extended periods of time.

Making the product the choice for bike riders and car drivers.

Caffeine is often used as a stimulant but unfortunately has potential to cause negative effects including blurred vision at high doses, increased systolic and diastolic blood flow and aortic stiffness. The combination of anti-oxidants used in Smart-1 should protect against these negative effects and enhance the positive effects of caffeine by improving erythrocyte plasticity helping the blood flow more easily and by reducing peripheral resistance further helping the transfer of oxygen.

Smart-1 gel uses the same low osmolality gel structure used in GO-Gel to deliver 22g of carbohydrate energy per gel.

Typical Ingredients

Water, Maltodextrin (produced by partial hydrolysis of a special variety of maize, 98% glucose polymers), Flavouring, Gelling Agents (Xanthan Gum, Gellan Gum), Antioxidants (Blackcurrant Anathocyanins, Vitamin C, Citrus Bioflavenoids, Acidity Regultors (Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate), Caffeine, Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate), Sweetner (Acesulfame K, Sucralose), Salt.

Typical Values per 100ml

Energy 612kj/144kcal, Carbohydrate 36g, Protein 0g, Fat 0g, Caffeine 83mg, Anathocyanins 21mg, bioflavenoids 3mg.

New Smart 1 variants available soon!

Smart 1 Energizer Gel is the first product in a range of Smart 1 products, look out for the new products out soon.

Science in Sport is continually striving to innovate and improve products to assist all athletes to reach their goals and maintain its position as leaders in sports nutrition.

All Science in Sport products are manufactured in-house and are drug-free.

PKS Protein Kinetics System.

Introducing the world´s first integrated protein system, which utilizes the absorption characteristics of different proteins in order to maximize training gains.

The Protein Kinetics System was developed from studies using the latest research techniques that look beyond nitrogen balance and absolute nitrogen supply, to focus on absorption speed and protein turnover. Science in Sport has identified specific protein fragments that have different kinetic profiles, and incorporated them into the Protein Kinetics range.

These products are taken at different times according to metabolic and hormonal variations generated by exercise and rest.

Read more about the Protein Kinetics System here.

BUILD

The Fast Build Protein formula for athletes.

Fast proteins to deliver a big shot of nutrition when your body needs it

Rapidly absorbed whey protein isolate and hydrolysate producing high levels of circulating amino acids. Taken between meals to increase protein turnover throughout the day and so maximize training gains. Fast protein for bigger gains.

USES: Take prior to resistance workouts, use between meals to boost protein synthesis, use with meals to boost protein content.

For best results do not take BUILD prior to bed time, fast proteins can increase protein catabolism (muscle breakdown) over an 8 hour fast - use Nocté instead, Nocté has been designed to slowly drip feed proteins in overnight to help avoid muscle breakdown.

Ideal as a Daytime muscle growth complex

Ideal as a pre-workout protein boost

REGO rapid recovery

Protein-Carbohydrate complex with high levels of rapidly absorbed, pre-digested hydrolysated proteins, whey protein isolates, peptide bonded glutamine, creatine and much more to accelerate your recovery from, and adaptation to, exercise. Recover - Adapt - Improve.

Fast proteins to deliver a big shot of nutrition when your body needs it

Now available in Tropical fruit, Chocolate Fudge, and NEW Berry with anathocyanins!

Also check out REGO recovery our original Protein-Carbohydrate complex with isolated Soy-protein, naturally high in Glutamine, for a thicker more

creamy post exercise recovery drink, in Strawberry, Banana, Vanilla, and Chocolate.

USES: Take after workouts, to provide rapid energy for hungry muscles, and rapidly absorbed proteins to help build and repair tired muscles.For an alternative product try REGO Recovery, which is a dairy free alternative that makes a thicker drink in alternative flavours.

Nocté

Nocté is the night time drink for athletes. Nocté optimizes sleep. It contains all the essential ingredients needed by the body for rest, repair and recovery, whilst maintaining a healthy immune system and promoting health and well being. Don´t just sleep, Sleep Strong!

Slow proteins to drip feed nutrition to boost your recovery whilst you sleep

USES: Take 30-60 minutes prior to bed for best results mix with 200-300ml cold water in a shaker bottle. Nocté can be made into a hot drink, but cold is best for quality sleep.

For more information visit www.sleepstrong.com

You can also download our Nocté information leaflet

Nocté has been shown to reduce muscle soreness and improve testosterone and immune function levels during periods of hard training.

Science in Sport Supplements

Science in Sport produces a range of supplements that can be used in conjunction with our other products.

CLA

CLA Active Isomers of Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is set to become a major sports nutrition supplement in the next decade. Since CLA was first identified as an anticarcinogen factor in ground beef (Pariza et al 1979). CLA has been found to have many useful properties that have been demonstrated in animal studies. Over the last few years many of the effects reported in animal studies have been replicated in human studies and CLA supplementation in humans is now an exciting area of research.

CLA has been shown to ...

Reduce body fat accretion and increase lean muscle mass

Improve immune function

Increase bone mineralization

Inhibit carcinogenesis

Reduce athlerosclerosis

Since CLA has been shown to reduce body fat it is likely that this will be the main reason for supplementation. Human studies have supported evidence from animal studies to show that supplementation with as little as 3.2g of CLA per day can significantly reduce body fat mass in overweight and obese humans. (Blankson et al 2000) There is speculation that the low levels of CLA in a modern diet may be a contributory factor to high levels of obesity reported in Western Societies. It is easy to see that shortages of CLA may occur in a western diet when you consider the different CLA levels in the milk of cows that are intensively farmed as opposed to pasture fed. (see figure 1). It is important to recognize that CLA is the name for a group of compounds, not all CLA is the same. CLA consists of a group of dienoic isomers of linoleic acid not all of which have active properties. Studies have found large variations in the trans-isomer composition of CLA, the important cis-9, trans-11 isomer may be as little as 73 % to over 90% of the total CLA.

We think that studies of this type add to the debate about our farming practices and desire to produce cheaper products (especially since it is has been shown that it is not just what you feed the animals that counts but also environmental factors). So it is important to ask questions about the quality of the food in your regular diet. Given the massive health benefits reported with the use of CLA we feel that supplementation does have merit and certainly everyone in the Science in Sport Office is enthusiastic about its use. Other that the beneficial effect on lean muscle mass, athletes are likely to find the positive effect on the immune system useful. Athletes prone to stress fractures and women athletes with low body fat levels, who are at increased risk of osteoporosis, are likely to benefit from increased bone mineralization. Science in Sport has recognized that all CLA is not the same and have therefore set about discovering a high quality CLA supplement that is high in the active isomers cis-9, trans-11 (c9,t11) and trans-10, cis12 (t-10,c-12).

For general health benefits CLA supplementation of 2-3g per day seems appropriate but those looking for a positive effect on body composition should take 3-6g daily. CLA is a natural food constituent; it is well tolerated and is not a stimulant.

References

Bauman DE; Baumgard LH; Corl BA; Griinari JM, Biosynthesis of conjugated linoleic acid in ruminants,
Proceedings of the American Society of Animal Science, 1999
Blankson H; Stakkestad JA; Fertun H; Thom E; Wadstein J; Gudmunsen O, Conjugated linoleic acid
reduces body fat mass in overweight and obese humans, J. Nutr. 130: 2943-2948, 2000
Dhinman TR; Anand GR; Slatter LD; Pariza MW, Conjugate Linoleic Acid content of milk from cows fed
different diets, J Dairy Sci, 82(10):2146-56 1999 Oct
Kritchevsky D, Antimutagenic and some other effects of conjugated linoleic acid, Br J Nutr, 83(5): 459-65
2000 May
MacDonald HB, Conjugated linoleic acid and disease prevention: a review of current knowledge, J Am Coll
Nutr, 19(2 Suppl): 111S-118S 2000 Apr
Pariza MW, Ashoor SH, Chu FS, Lund DB, Effects of temperature and time on mutagen formation in panfried
hamburger, Cancer Lett, Jul;7(2-3):63-9 1979
S'eb'edio JL; Gnaedig S; Chardigny JM, Recent advances in conjugated linoleic acid research, Curr Opin
Clin Nutr Metab Care, 2(6):499-506 1999 Nov

KR10 Creatine

Creatine appeared on the supplement market in the early 90´s and it has
created unprecedented numbers of scientific studies.
Creatine has been used by many thousands of athletes and generated
much media coverage.
Creatine supplementation does improve performance.
Science in Sport have been at the forefront of Creatine supplementation
since the early 1990´s and their KR10 brand has been proven in many
scientific studies and been used effectively by athletes and sports people at
all levels of competition.
Science in Sport only use pharmaceutical grade European manufactured
Creatine that is
then packed in their own drug free facility, it does not contravene any IOC
regulations.
Science in Sport warranty that their products are free of contamination by
banned substances. Warranty is available here

Creatine supplementation should be considered by anyone serious about
their sport.
Science in Sport Creatine is synthesized de novo from vegetarian
ingredients and is therefore suitable for vegetarians.

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a natural constituent of a normal diet. Muscle foods such as steak and sushi are often quoted as being high in Creatine. However, vegetarian sources do exist, juniper berries being a particularly good example. Creatine is found in high concentrations in human muscle where it plays an important part in the energy production process. Normally this Creatine is provided from the diet but the body does have the ability to manufacture Creatine from the amino acids Arginine, Glycine and Methionine. It appears that because of the changes in people´s dietary habits they are receiving less Creatine in their diet and have a sub optimal store of Creatine in the muscle. This is especially so for vegetarian athletes. By supplementing Creatine in the diet it is possible to increase the Creatine in muscle and improve performance.

What does Creatine do?

Athletes require a continual supply of energy for high performance activity. This energy is supplied to the muscle in the form of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). There is barely enough ATP to fuel more than a second of strenuous activity. The body manufactures ATP from carbohydrate, fat and protein in the diet. Fat can be used to make a lot of ATP but this is a slow process. The body can manufacture ATP from carbohydrate far more quickly but even the breakdown of carbohydrate by anaerobic glycolysis cannot provide ATP fast enough for very explosive events. When the body has a sudden increase in demand for energy it has to rely upon a bank of immediately available energy - the Creatine Phosphate Energy System.Creatine Phosphate can donate phosphate groups in order to re-charge ATP. The use of Creatine Phosphate to recharge ATP during sudden increases in energy demand gives time for Carbohydrate metabolism to be fired up. Then during less intense periods the energy from carbohydrate metabolism can be used to pay back into the Creatine bank to recharge the Creatine Phosphate

There is enough Creatine Phosphate to fuel about 5 seconds of a 100m sprint. As Creatine Phosphate can recycle ATP faster than Carbohydrate metabolism, the athlete can put out more power and accelerate faster when using Creatine Phosphate.

Creatine Supplementation

Extensive research has shown that by supplementing the natural intake of Creatine, the amount of Creatine in the body can be increased to about 5g per kilogram of muscle.
This increase results in an increase in athletic performance, particularly in repeated sprint type activities, interval training and weight training.

How much to use when?

Most research has been undertaken using 5g doses taken 4 times a day, 20g a day in total. Doses of 5g produce a large rise of Creatine in the blood that pushes the Creatine into the muscle. Taking a loading dose of 20g a day for 5 days produces a rapid rise in Creatine stores, and most athletes notice a difference immediately although some take a few days to settle down.
It is possible, and now generally recommended, to produce the same end result by taking a single 5g dose once a day for 4 or 5 weeks and slowly ramp up stores. Once Creatine stores are loaded athletes can maintain levels by taking 2-5g a day. Alternatively you can let your levels taper back down and re-load after 2 or 3 months.

Is there anything else I should consider?

It is important to keep hydrated and there is some evidence to suggest taking Creatine with Carbohydrate may improve the absorption. Many athletes obtain good results taking Creatine with GO Electrolyte sports fuel. Some individuals do not seem to respond to Creatine supplementation, it may be that they already have maximum stores so do not benefit from loading. Taking on board extra Creatine has been shown to significantly increase lean muscle mass, although this may be due to extra water retention during the loading phase and may settle down later on. In sports where weight is a factor athletes need to consider the advantages over the disadvantage of extra weight.

Glutamine

Amino Acid

Although glutamine is classified by nutritionists as a "non-essential amino acid", it is probable that no single amino acid has received as much attention in clinical nutrition research and increasingly this interest has spread to sports nutrition.

In order to understand how a "non-essential amino acid" can attract so much attention it is necessary to understand where the term "non-essential" comes from. An amino acid is only considered essential if it is not possible for the body to make the particular amino acid when there is adequate supply of other "essential" amino acids. Since it is possible to make glutamine from many different amino acids, including glutamic acid, valine and isoleucine, it is not considered essential however the fact that the body has a number of ways to produce glutamine may serve to illustrate its importance.

Glutamine is also a precursor for many other amino acids; an important fuel for the immune system, the brain and gut mucosal cells, and it is at the heart of a mechanism controlling acid:base balance. It may also be a direct regulator of protein synthesis and regulation, thus glutamine is at the heart of a metabolic cross roads and its adequate supply is thus crucial for optimal functioning of the body.

Glutamine has been used routinely inhospitals for the treatment of burn and other trauma patients where it has been shown to help improve immune function.Recently research has focused on the parallels between the trauma of "hospitalisation" and the trauma of exercise stress.Under these conditions the body's requirement for glutamine may exceed its capacity to produce it, and in these conditions glutamine may become "conditionally essential".

Glutamine is the largest store of amino acid in the body, with large amountsbeing stored in the muscle. Glutamine accounts for over 60% of the total intra-muscular amino acid pool. However, release rates are so high that even in resting muscle it is likely that all these stores would be used up within 7 hours if de-novo synthesis did not take place. During exercise release rates from muscle increase dramatically, leaving both muscle and plasma levels depleted for between hours and days depending on the duration and intensity of the exercise. Glutamine levels have been shown to be low in athletes with over training syndrome, and much recent research has focused on its role in the prevention of this syndrome.

Resistance to infection

Athletes in hard training are often prone to infections, particularly infections of the throat and the upper respiratory tract. There is mounting evidence that hard training can reduce immune function. Researchers have noted the parallels between the stress of hard training and the stress suffered by hospitalized trauma patients, particularly those suffering from burns. These patients are routinely given glutamine supplementation to protect glutamine status and this has been shown to improve immune function, similar benefits in athletic populations have been reported.

Optimal Muscle Growth

Glutamine is important for optimal muscle growth and adaptation. Animal studies suggest that glutamine stimulates protein synthesis and inhibits protein breakdown in muscles. In healthy subjects, infusing sufficient glutamine to double plasma glutamine concentrations has no effect on whole body proteolysis (protein breakdown), but slightly increases whole body synthesis. This may be due to the effect of glutamine on cell volume. Glutamine is taken up by the muscle cell thereby increasing the volume of the cell by drawing fluid into the cell due to the increase in intracellular osmolality. This may then promote muscle hypertrophy through the stimulation of Nitric-oxide Synthase in a similar way that a mechanical stretch influences gene expression. (Tidball et al 1999) Ensuring adequate muscle glycogen stores post exercise is another crucial factor in recovery and adaptation to exercise and glutamine has been shown to stimulate muscle glycogen synthesis from glucose.
Therefore ensuring adequate glutamine levels is essential in order to ensure optimal muscle function, muscle growth and resistance to infection.

How is it possible to maintain glutamine status?

Taking a protein supplement rich in glutamine in addition to carbohydrate, post exercise, may be sufficient to maintain glutamine status. (Van Hall et al 2000). Good products include Rego from Science in Sport who produce a version with a high concentration of glutamine peptide in addition to the standard soy protein isolate.
However, most post exercise protein carbohydrate products have a significant amount of calories, ideal in periods of hard training when it is crucial to maintain muscle glycogen stores, but there are times when it is useful to take glutamine in a less calorific form. This may include times after shorter intense workouts, during taper for competition and stressful situations not necessarily caused by training - e.g. injury and infection. Glutamine is readily soluble in water and has a pleasant taste, so the easiest way to consume it is to dissolve a few grams of pure L-glutamine into water or your favourite cordial.
Many athletes have found it beneficial to use a 2-5g dose immediately after workouts and 2 hours post workout, with additional doses on an empty stomach either last thing at night or first thing in the morning in periods of heavy stress.

Who uses it?

Glutamine supplementation has found popularity with many top class swimmers, athletes and cyclists, in addition to body builders who have been fond of it for some time due to its positive effect on muscle volume.

Is it Vegetarian?

It is possible to obtain vegetarian L-glutamine. Glutamine usually manufactured by the controlled fermentation of glucose by a process involving the purification and crystalisation.

Glutamine as a marker of over training

Since maintaining adequate plasma glutamine levels is so important to optimal function, there has been much focus on using plasma glutamine levels as a marker of exercise stress and over training. Persons who are suspect or diagnosed with over training syndrome may benefit from monitoring plasma glutamine levels, particularly when training is being reintroduced.

Glutamine Testing as a marker of Over Training Syndrome

Some specialist Sport Clinics may undertake glutamine testing/screening try;

Dr Richard Higgins
Health South
Don Valley Stadium
Sheffield. Tel. 0114 261 9990

History of Glutamine

1866 Glutamic Acid discovered by Ritthausen.
1883 Glutamine described by Schultze and Bosshard.
1914 Glutamine presence and possible functions described in Human Body Thierfelder and Sherwen
1934 Krebs demonstrates in vitro glutamine synthesis
1974 First reliable data available on intra cellular amino acid pools
1980s Glutamine shown to be an important fuel for gastro-intestinal tract and rapidly proliferating cells of the immune system
1990s Glutamine linked with over training syndrome, regulation of protein synthesis. Supplementation of hospitalised trauma patients becomes common practice. Athletes and body builders experiment with glutamine supplementation with good results. Glutamine shows promise as a marker of training status.

The future: Glutamine use in athletes set to increase and novel glutamine compounds developed. Mechanism which glutamine increases protein synthesis uncovered.

References / Further reading

Hue and Gaussin 1995, Stimulation of Liver Glycogen Synthesis and Lipogenesis by Na+ Transported amino acids, in CynoberL Amino Acid Metabolism and Therapy in Health and Nutritional Disease pgs 179-187Parry Billings et al (1992) Plasma Amino Acid concentrations in over training syndrome: possible effects on the immune system. Med Sci Sports Exerc., 24(12)., 1353-1358
Rowebottom et al. (1996), The emerging role of glutamine as an indicator of exercise stress and overtraining. Sports Med, Feb 21 (2) 80-97 Tidball et al (1999)., Nitric-oxide Synthase Is a Mechanical Signal Transducer That Modulates Talin and Viculin Expression., J. Biol. Chem., 274(46)., 33155-33160
Van Hall et al (2000) The Effect of Free Glutamine and Peptide Ingestion on the Rate of Muscle Glycogen Resynthesis in Man, Int J Sports Med 21, 25-30 Well S., (1999) Human Protein Metabolism, Springer

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