kaffiend
Senior Member
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Following a suggestion by Mellster on another thread to discuss inflammation, I'm starting this thread with the topic of exercise/exertion, redox status, and ways to support glutathione. Since being at my worst this past winter and spring (house/bedbound), I've reduced my symptoms to very specific ones that follow exercise or heavy mental exertion. I'd almost describe it as a gremlin in my immune and autonomic systems, pulling wires and turning knobs for 48 hours after activity.
I think looking at the normal inflammatory processes (which I don't claim to understand) provoked by exercise are an important link to understanding some parts of ME/CFS. One aspect that seems relevant from reading studies is a healthy neutrophil response, which is dependent upon glutathione. Importantly, this might be supported with supplementation of precursors other than B12 and folic acid. By the way, I've had a very good response to methyl B12 supplementation and hydrocortisone, but they are still not protecting me from a range of post-exercise symptoms that seem like a swing from being immune compromised (canker sores, sore throat) to immune over-response (wired/tired, inflammatory response/allergies, severe neurcog. problems). Several studies have been done using l-cystine and l-theanine to combat these in over-trained athletes. Such things may be useful to people with ME/CSF as well. I've posted one study below and will try to summarize a few others over the next few days.
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Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research:
March 2010 - Volume 24 - Issue 3 - pp 846-851
doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c7c299
Original Research
Kawada, S, Kobayashi, K, Ohtani, M, and Fukusaki, C.
Cystine and theanine supplementation restores high-intensity resistance exercise-induced attenuation of natural killer cell activity in well-trained men. J Strength Cond Res 24(3): 846-851, 2010
Abstract
We investigated the effects of supplementation with cystine, a dipeptide of cysteine, and theanine (CT), a precursor of glutamate, on immune variables during high-intensity resistance exercise. Cysteine and glutamate are involved in the formation of glutathione, which modulates the activity of natural killer (NK) cells. In this double-blinded clinical trial, 15 well-trained men (aged 22.8 4.0 years) were divided into 2 groups: placebo (n = 7) and CT (n = 8). The placebo group was administered a powder containing cellulose (950 mg) and glutamate (30 mg), whereas the CT group was administered a powder containing cystine (700 mg) and theanine (280 mg), once daily for 2 weeks. The subjects trained according to their normal schedule (3 times per week) in the first week and trained at double the frequency (6 times per week) in the second week. Concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig)M, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and salivary IgA and the leukocyte count did not change significantly in either group. There was a significant decrease (p ? 0.05) in the NK cell activity (NKCA) in the placebo group after the second week compared with that in the CT group (placebo: 69.2 16.1% vs. CT: 101.7 38.7%). Phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte blastoid transformation did not change significantly in either group. These results suggest that NKCA is not affected in a normal training schedule with or without CT supplementation. However, high-intensity and high-frequency resistance exercises cause attenuation of NKCA, which CT supplementation appears to restore. Therefore, in practical application, CT supplementation would be useful for athletes to restore the attenuation of NKCA during high-intensity and high-frequency training.
I think looking at the normal inflammatory processes (which I don't claim to understand) provoked by exercise are an important link to understanding some parts of ME/CFS. One aspect that seems relevant from reading studies is a healthy neutrophil response, which is dependent upon glutathione. Importantly, this might be supported with supplementation of precursors other than B12 and folic acid. By the way, I've had a very good response to methyl B12 supplementation and hydrocortisone, but they are still not protecting me from a range of post-exercise symptoms that seem like a swing from being immune compromised (canker sores, sore throat) to immune over-response (wired/tired, inflammatory response/allergies, severe neurcog. problems). Several studies have been done using l-cystine and l-theanine to combat these in over-trained athletes. Such things may be useful to people with ME/CSF as well. I've posted one study below and will try to summarize a few others over the next few days.
----------
Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research:
March 2010 - Volume 24 - Issue 3 - pp 846-851
doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c7c299
Original Research
Kawada, S, Kobayashi, K, Ohtani, M, and Fukusaki, C.
Cystine and theanine supplementation restores high-intensity resistance exercise-induced attenuation of natural killer cell activity in well-trained men. J Strength Cond Res 24(3): 846-851, 2010
Abstract
We investigated the effects of supplementation with cystine, a dipeptide of cysteine, and theanine (CT), a precursor of glutamate, on immune variables during high-intensity resistance exercise. Cysteine and glutamate are involved in the formation of glutathione, which modulates the activity of natural killer (NK) cells. In this double-blinded clinical trial, 15 well-trained men (aged 22.8 4.0 years) were divided into 2 groups: placebo (n = 7) and CT (n = 8). The placebo group was administered a powder containing cellulose (950 mg) and glutamate (30 mg), whereas the CT group was administered a powder containing cystine (700 mg) and theanine (280 mg), once daily for 2 weeks. The subjects trained according to their normal schedule (3 times per week) in the first week and trained at double the frequency (6 times per week) in the second week. Concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig)M, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and salivary IgA and the leukocyte count did not change significantly in either group. There was a significant decrease (p ? 0.05) in the NK cell activity (NKCA) in the placebo group after the second week compared with that in the CT group (placebo: 69.2 16.1% vs. CT: 101.7 38.7%). Phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte blastoid transformation did not change significantly in either group. These results suggest that NKCA is not affected in a normal training schedule with or without CT supplementation. However, high-intensity and high-frequency resistance exercises cause attenuation of NKCA, which CT supplementation appears to restore. Therefore, in practical application, CT supplementation would be useful for athletes to restore the attenuation of NKCA during high-intensity and high-frequency training.