title: Effects of glutamine on glycemic control during and after exercise in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate if oral glutamine ameliorates exercise and postexercise nighttime hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetic adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten adolescents (15.2 +/- 1.4 years [SD], A1C 6.9 +/- 0.9%) on insulin pumps were studied. The subjects were randomized to receive a glutamine or placebo drink pre-exercise and at bedtime (0.25 g/kg/dose). A 3:00 p.m. exercise session consisted of four 15-min treadmill/5-min rest cycles. Pre-exercise blood glucose was 140-150 mg/dl and was monitored throughout the night. Studies were randomized crossover over 3 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood glucose levels dropped comparably (52%) during exercise on both days. However, the overnight number of hypoglycemic events was higher on glutamine than placebo (<or=70 mg/dl, P = 0.03 and <or=60, P = 0.05). The cumulative probability of nighttime hypoglycemia was increased on glutamine days (80%) versus placebo days (50%) (P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glutamine increased the cumulative probability of postexercise overnight hypoglycemia compared with placebo in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Whether glutamine may enhance insulin sensitivity postexercise requires further study in type 1 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Nemours Children's Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA. nmauras@nemours.org
authors.forename: Nelly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mauras
authors.forename: Dongyuan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Larry A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Englert
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Darmaun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005973:Glutamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005973:Glutamine