Sir David Cuthbertson was the first to define metabolic alterations in post-aggression syndrome (PAS). From basic measurements of nitrogen loss and total protein synthesis/degradation, the current research has moved to genomics, proteomics and metabolomics. In this respect, first evidence was accumulated for the influence of acute catabolism, immobilisation by bed rest and sarcopenia of old age on the muscle-cell genome and proteome. Moreover, in post-aggression syndrome specific amino acids such as glutamine, arginine, glycine, taurine, tryptophan and cysteine are used for cell and immune modulation. Our laboratory has focused on the regulative capacity of glutamine. Glutamine deficiency as found in post-aggression syndrome reduces lymphocyte proliferation, alters monocyte/macrophage activity, decreases the formation of heat-shock proteins, stimulates cell apoptosis, shifts the cellular redox potential by altering the glutathione synthesis and increases the activity of the AMPK system. Investigating the molecular effect of glutamine on Hsp 70 induction, we tested the glutamine dependence on the formation of transfer-RNA and of heat-shock factor 1 (HSF 1), and on transcription and translation of Hsp 70. We could demonstrate that glutamine stabilises the mRNA of Hsp 70 thereby prolonging its half-life. The lecture also discusses the principal molecular targets of administered arginine, glycine, cysteine, taurine and tryptophan.