US Sports Strength & Conditioning: Glutamine: More Than Just A Muscle Builder

 

-Team Beast 

Glutamine… an amino acid we've been familiar with and have used (maybe without even knowing it) that has been around for a very long time.  Unfortunately, it is one of the amino acids that seems to have been forgotten about.  Why is that?  While there's nothing sexy about it, it's definitely something we should not neglect as glutamine provides very important benefits when it comes to skeletal muscle and how we not only build it but how we preserve it as well.

In this article, we will take a deeper dive into the subject to help provide you with a little more detail about why you shouldn't overlook this key amino acid and what exactly it can do for you. 

What is Glutamine?

 As mentioned above, glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, which means the body can synthesize it on its own.  While the body's ability to synthesize it on its own may not be of great importance to the everyday American, those who exercise regularly will need an increased amount to keep up with the demand and stress put on the body through training.

 Being that glutamine plays a vital role in skeletal muscle recovery, it can quickly be used up, and if not enough is present through proper nutrition or supplementation.  If depleted, it can hinder your results when it comes to muscle-building and lean tissue preservation. 

What is This Amino Acid Responsible For?

 To take you on a quick history lesson, back in the early 1990s, Dr. Scott Connelly utilized this non-essential amino acid with burn victims and patients in a catabolic-state in hospitals. 

 When you ingest glutamine, whether through food sources such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, tofu, spinach, beans, and carrots, to name a few, or through supplements, the kidneys convert it into what is known as citrulline.  If the name rings a bell, it's because citrulline is found in many pre-workouts to aid in vasodilation, which can increase the pump by helping flood the muscles with blood.

 Fast-forward through the process, and citrulline is responsible for elevating nitric oxide in the body, which helps increase blood flow to aid in transporting oxygen-rich blood and nutrients out to the muscles.  

The Benefits of Glutamine

 Glutamine provides a bunch of benefits to those who exercise regularly and are looking to improve their physique.  Below is a list showing some of these benefits. 

1.      Recovery and Endurance

 Whether you take a post-workout shake that includes glutamine, supplement it as a standalone, or consume foods (like what was mentioned above), glutamine can help with the recovery process.  It aids in replenishing glycogen that was used during workouts to refill your glycogen stores and prepare you for future workouts.

 During workouts, glutamine can also help reduce muscle fatigue and improve endurance by buffering lactic acid and also provides the muscles with a usable energy source when training. 

2.      Muscle Preservation

 Workouts can put a lot of stress on the system and body.  This stress can cause a catabolic effect, which is the complete opposite of what you're trying to accomplish in the gym.  You want to help build muscle, not create muscle-wasting.  Glutamine can combat this while also helping to promote nitrogen retention and aiding in the release of growth hormone. 

3.      Muscle Building

 Glutamine is one of the key building blocks of protein.  Through the combination of including glutamine in your supplement regimen or proper nutrition, along with the addition of adequate protein, it can aid in muscle protein synthesis and help build lean muscle tissue. 

4.      Immune Booster

 One topic that isn't talked about often is that glutamine can boost the immune system.  Glutamine is an essential fuel source for immune cells (such as white blood cells), which can then actively go out and destroy pathogens that could do the body harm.  

Some studies have even shown that glutamine supplementation can help decrease infections and improve overall health.  Low levels of glutamine could compromise your immune system and increase your risk of illness. 

5.      Digestive Health

 To tie in with immunity is digestion – notably, the intestines.  Glutamine has the ability to help prevent pathogens from traveling to the intestines (as well as the rest of your body) and can also help prevent holes or cracks from forming in the lining of the intestinal tract – also known as "leaky gut syndrome." 

Take Your Training and Results to the Next Level

 Glutamine has many benefits, as presented above, that can help you build muscle as well as preserve it.  Whether you are in a bulk or cut, glutamine plays a vital role in your results and, ultimately, the changes to your physique.  If you want a simple and effective way to take in your daily glutamine requirement, there's nothing better than Beast Glutamine. 

 Beast Glutamine provides you with 5g of L-Glutamine to help you recover faster, can allow you to train longer and harder by reducing muscular fatigue, may boost your immune system, support overall health, and aid in building and preserving your hard-earned lean muscle mass.

 Glutamine is your body's most abundant amino acid. Don't dismiss its benefits.  One scoop of Beast Glutamine daily will help put you in the driver's seat to achieving the results you desire.

Live Streams and Breaking Sports News!

Today's Devotional: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You.

 

Know What You Believe

The Bible is our protection against deception.

From Intouch Ministries

2 Timothy 1:12-14

All people have a belief system, whether they realize it or not. Even those who claim there is no God have faith that He does not exist. Some base their convictions on what fits their lifestyle, reasoning, and desires. Jesus’ followers, however, are called to base their lives on the authority of God’s Word. 

Any time we add other philosophies or ideas to Scripture or pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe, we create our own version of faith based on personal reasoning. God’s Word is a true and reliable foundation for belief because it contains the recorded thoughts of an eternal, all-knowing God. Any other concept must be measured against God’s Word to determine its validity. 

Knowing what the Bible says is essential for developing a sound system of beliefs founded on the truth and wisdom of the Lord. This world will offer you a variety of philosophies, but a faith anchored in the Bible is your protection against deception. 

Each time you face a problem or decision, search the Scriptures for help in coming up with the answer. Begin your day by reading the Word, and ask God to help you understand what He is saying. He loves communicating with you, and He will make Himself known. 

Bible in One Year: Acts 27-28 

The CFL On US Sports Net Presented By: Sideline Swap

Sports Equipment For Over 25 Sports & Activities at SidelineSwap.com

Get Live Football action from around the Canadian Football League on Apple TV.

Today's Devotional: Good Measure, Pressed Down, Shaken Together, Running Over...

 

Sunday Reflection: Giving (Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense)

From Intouch Ministries

Because God provides for our needs, we can give abundantly to others.

To get the most out of this devotion, set aside time to read the scriptures referenced throughout.

Hermit crabs are fascinating creatures. Their soft abdomens leave them vulnerable to predators, so for protection, they live in abandoned shells that they carry everywhere. When a threat comes, they simply tuck themselves tightly inside their borrowed homes until the danger passes.

It can be tempting to do that when something threatens us or our resources. Often, we hoard wealth, possessions, or even our time. But Scripture tells us to do the opposite. For instance, Proverbs 11:25-26 says, “A generous person will be prosperous, and one who gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty. One who withholds grain, the people will curse him, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.” 

Notice there are no caveats, no exceptions to this wisdom. We are meant to be givers out of a sense of gratitude toward the One who gives to us so lavishly (Matthew 7:7-12; 2 Corinthians 9:6). Because we serve a God of abundance, we too can give abundantly, knowing our Father will always provide for our needs. 

Think about it

• Take a look at the many things you’re blessed to own or experience. Offer a prayer of gratitude for them, and ask God to help you decide what should be shared with others.

Bible in One Year: Acts 25-26 

US Sports Football: Sprint Out Passing: Move the Pocket for Success and this week's top 25 High School Football Action!

 

Sprint Out Passing: Move the Pocket for Success

• By Keith Grabowski
 

---

Why Sprint Out?

The sprint out game provides a diverse package that builds upon other components of the passing game.  Overall, the concepts used in an offense can be adapted to fit the quarterback on the move.

Sprint out fits into any offense and any type of personnel grouping.  It’s simple to teach and it gives an offense efficiency in moving the ball down the field.

Kevin Kelley, who spent the 2021 season as the head coach of FCS passing leader Presbyterian, starts by pointing out a flaw in the thought process that many coaches mentioned as why to not sprint out...that it “takes away half of the field.” His answer is simple. You aren't taking away half of the field because they have to cover the other half of the field.

The ability to move the pocket and the launch point of the quarterback can help create and attack holes in defensive coverage. 

Moving the launch point certainly is a way to alleviate pressure and get the quarterback cleaner looks.  For the offensive line, the movement will help them as well.

Master Your Sport. Click Here For All Football Instructional Courses @ CoachTube And Enter Ambassador Code: 11586773 At Checkout For All Available Discounts

Protection

As mentioned, changing the launch point to deter pressure is a big benefit offered by the sprint out passing game.  The protection is relatively simple and doesn’t require the refined technique of the dropback game.  Where the dropback game protection forces an offensive lineman to deal with two-way go’s as well as having to be sound in twists and stunts, the movement of the pocket simplifies both technique and scheme.

Matt Drinkall, TE Coach at Army, begins with the understanding of protection being full-gap 7- man protection.  He doesn’t like to call it turnback. He sets it up so there are two protecting the front side edge.  His version of sprint out allows the QB to get on the move but be set up to throw which he feels gives a higher completion percentage, especially when moving to the opposite side of his throwing arm.  Here’s how he does it.

With a spread set, the protection can be adapted to six-man with the single running back utilized to protect the front side edge.

Like Coach Drinkall, Eric Marty, now the offensive coordinator for the USFL Michigan Panthers doesn’t teach the protection as a turnback, and he never asks a lineman to reach a frontside defender.  This philosophy makes it much easier for the offensive line.  He explains how they protect against an even front with the single running back assigned to the frontside edge.

Concepts

The concepts for sprint out can be very simple and build off of each other.  Coupled with some compliments, this is a segment of an offense that defensive coordinators will have to spend time planning to stop. 

To start with, sprint out can be used from any type of formation 3x1, 2x2, 3x2, and 4x1. For Coach Kelley, it starts with something simple like a one-on-one to the single WR side.  The safety is slid over and not in a great position to help.  The WR will run and out-and-up but come back if he doesn’t beat the corner as illustrated below.

In this example, Coach Kelley moves the running back into empty to put him in a position to help on the edge.  The same out-and-up with comeback rule is run.

He illustrates the multiplicity of the concept and when run against looks that he shows is unstoppable when executed properly, Coach Kelley breaks down all of these examples in this video

Once more receivers are added to the sprint out, the possibilities of how to attack the defense expand.  Coach Drinkall likes to incorporate some form of smash with one route attacking vertically and another route attacking the flat.  He explains his outside concept in this video.

Many offenses utilize the Snag concept which allows for a quicker timing from dropback as well as multiplicity from the types of 3-man surface formations and personnel groups. Coach Marty loves the concept as part of his sprint-out attack.  Like Drinkall mentions, it does create a type of smash concept with a high-low to stretch the defense and attack zone coverage.  It also creates some natural traffic for defenders to negotiate which makes it a great man-beater as well.  He explains it here.

Those are just a few examples of how concepts can be adapted to sprint out.  The idea is to be efficient in teaching so that dropback and sprintout concepts do not need to be exclusive to one category.  The carry-over will cut down teaching and allow for route technique to be perfected.

Using Sprint Out Situationally

It fits into any field zone and virtually any down and distance.  Bill Walsh made a living on Sprint Right Option with his Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young.  Sprint right option is still a play that can be seen at every level of football. Many times it is a play reserved for the goal line area because it creates rubs and allows receivers to get open in an area with reduced vertical space. (see diagram below):

Coach Kelley carries an entire menu for this area of the field.  He shares his variations in this video.

Complimentary plays

In general, any effective concept in an offense warrants the use of complimentary plays.  Defenses work hard to take away effective plays thus opening opportunities to use other plays to exploit the weaknesses the defense creates to stop a concept.

Coach Drinkall thinks about how movement affects a defensive back who has to stop the sprint out and he creates concepts to take advantage of that.  

His first idea is to tag a double move which takes advantage of an overplay by the defensive back.  When the defender is jumping a corner route, utilizing a corner-post allows for a big play opportunity.  Remember, in his version of the sprint out, the QB sets his feet to throw, thus making this a viable option.  It would be much more difficult on the run for the QB. He illustrates it in this diagram.

Compliments don’t have to be shot plays all of the time.  Simply attacking the linebacker movement to the sprint out side creates opportunities for a short pass and run after catch with a drag or shallow. 

In addition, throwback screens, sprint draws, and even trick plays can be built off of the sprint out concept.

Conclusion

Changing the launch point is a smart way to take away the effectiveness of pressure. Because it can incorporate the concepts used in dropback, it’s an efficient way to provide the offense multiplicity.  With a little thought, even a small package can be developed for an offense to realize these benefits.

Live Streams and Breaking Sports News!

US Sports Affiliate Partner Spotlight: Edible Arrangements

 At Edible®, our passion, heritage, and future are rooted in helping people all over the world celebrate life’s most special moments with a gift or treat that’s carefully crafted to WOW. Whether it’s a birthday, a work milestone, a get-together with friends and family, or even just because, our assortment of freshly made gifts is just what you need to create spontaneous moments of goodness filled with extra sweet memories and lots of smiles!

Shop Pumpkin Cheesecake at Edible Arrangements!

Today's Devotional: The True Labor Of Love

 

Laboring for God

God invites us to be a part of His work on earth and promises to reward our efforts. 

From Intouch Ministries

John 12:20-26

As Jesus’ followers, we are to carry out His work. And we’re to be living extensions of His life as we do so. Following His example, believers must:

• Live as God’s servants. We need to release control over our time, talent, and treasure and accept our commission to work in His kingdom. Like our Savior, we’re not to act independently (John 5:19). Our assignment is to do whatever God asks of us. 
• Answer His call to aid others. We tend to limit our circle to people like ourselves, but we must fight against this inclination. We should be willing to respond to the needs of strangers and friends alike. And the Lord can help us recognize those opportunities. 
• Motivate one another to good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). We’re to spur each other toward godliness and service rather than worldly pleasure and self-centeredness. Believers should foster in each other gratefulness for what He has done and confidence about what He will do.

Good works don’t earn salvation, but they do affect eternal rewards. Believers’ deeds will one day be evaluated: Works done without direction from God will be burned up, while those accomplished in obedience to the Spirit will be remembered and acknowledged (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). Let your love for God stimulate you to labor in His kingdom. 

Bible in One Year: Acts 23-24

US Sports Strength and Conditioning Featuring: BBcom What is the Optimal Combination of Training and Protein Intake for Maximum Muscle Growth?

 

In a 2015 study, Nutritional interventions to augment resistance training-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy found that muscle growth is fundamentally driven by resistance training with adequate post workout protein consumption.

Ken Yu

Your body has to balance between creating and breaking down muscle tissue. When you eat protein and weight train, your body produces new proteins. When you rest and digest your food, your body breaks down and removes damaged proteins. The overall ratio of this daily cycle determines your overall muscle growth. Here is everything that you need to know about resistance training and eating protein to stimulate maximum muscle growth.

Protein Dose: How Much Protein Should I Eat?

There is a lot of debate about how much protein you should eat. Here is what the science says: 

According to a 2009 study by Moore et al, (1) people only needed around 20 gram of protein per meal for near maximal protein synthesis; (2) eating between 20 grams and 40 grams of protein provides only a marginal increase; and (3) eating more than 40 gram of protein provides little to no increase in protein production. In a 2015 follow-up study by Moore et al, they found that the optimal protein consumption is 0.4g per kg (0.18g per lb) of body weight per meal with four servings throughout the day. Example: If you weigh 77 kilograms / 170 pounds, you would need around 31g of protein per meal or 124g per day.

Protein Timing: When Should I Eat Protein?

........Keep reading.......