What Is L-Glutamine?
Glutamine - short for glutamic acid - is one of the twenty amino acids that create proteins for use by the cells in our body. Glutamine is also involved in the protein synthesis process, so after each workout it will help rebuild muscle tissue, helping you grow stronger and bigger (if you’re in calorie surplus).
You will find Glutamine naturally in beef, poultry, eggs and dairy products. Most people get their daily intake from foods but supplementation is encouraged for those who undertake regular physical exercise. This is because hard exercise depletes Glutamine stores and makes the body raid your muscles for extra energy; something you don’t want happening! It’s a shame your body doesn’t go to your fat reserves first but that’s just the way it goes!
Benefits of supplementation
So Glutamine has a few notable benefits. As I mentioned above, it is excellent in helping you recover from a hard workout. By recovering well you can achieve more next time and this in turn leads to faster gains in terms of muscle and performance.
Glutamine also has another fantastic benefit in that it slows down catabolism (muscle breakdown). So it is especially important to take when you’re dieting as this is when you’re in most danger of losing that hard gained muscle. In some ways this is probably Glutamine’s key benefit. Especially as most of us don’t train religiously and life gets in the way. Glutamine helps limit the damage of missed workouts and those occasional indulgences!
Glutamine can also help replace lost glycogen so after a workout your energy levels will return more quickly.
Finally, Glutamine can be a general health supplement as it boosts your immune system. Active people are more susceptible to illnesses so supplementing with an immune system boosting product is a sensible option. Some people even take Glutamine for health reasons such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
When and how often to take it?
The advice on this varies but commonly suggests that post-workout is the best time (just add it to your protein shake). This is because your body’s supply of Glutamine will be low and replenishing it will allow your muscles to rebuild and repair, which is what you want of course! This goes for weight lifting as well as any aerobic activity.
Some research suggests before a workout is helpful as you keep your levels high while exercising. I think that a 5g dose after a workout is a better option myself though as your existing levels should just about get you through a normal workout.
As Glutamine deters catabolism another key time to take it is before bed, when your body is about to go without protein for 7 hours+. Again, add it to your milk protein shake or just have the Glutamine with water. It has a barely detectable taste.
In summary, the most common advice is to take 5g once a day every day, even if not training. However, on training days I would advise two doses of 5g, one after the workout and one before bedtime. When you’re making good gains you might even want to stick with the two dose regime every day.
To remain balanced I should add that full research is still underway as to how effective L-Glutamine truly is but as it is naturally occurring in the body and cheap to buy then it is a simple product to buy and use.
Cost
Glutamine is very well priced! One major supplier sells it for just £2.60 per 100g.
Side effects?
There are no known side effects of Glutamine from my research. I would say just play it safe and stick to no more than 10g a day as this is a very moderate, and quite sufficient, doseage.
Summary
98% of the research I read across many fields suggested that Glutamine supplementation was advisable and beneficial. The other 2% just said there wasn’t enough proof. It certainly seems that for the cost/benefit ratio supplementation is hardly a big risk to take either. So get yourself some and start with 5g post workout and see how you get on before adding in another 5g before bedtimes.
One Response to “What Is L-Glutamine?”
April 23rd, 2009 saat: 8:00 pm
Sounds to me like it should be 15 grams a day, 5 gram in pre-workout, 5 gram post-workout and 5 grams at bedtime with, as you rightly say a casein heavy (milk) protein shake.
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