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What Is L-Glutamine Good For And How To Use It
If you want to be complete in your fitness pursuits, you’ll need to fill every hole in your game. Resistance training, cardio, sleep, stretching, myofascial release, and of course nutrition. More specifically protein, but not just protein. A comprehensive set of amino acids for your particular case, which could be cutting, bulking, maintaining, undecided, vegan, pregnant, etc.. Today I picked arguably the most important one: l-glutamine.
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What Is L-Glutamine
Protein is the building block of skin, muscle, organs, and probably space shuttles too I just haven’t looked into it yet. There are a total of 20+ amino acids that unite in various combinations to create this macronutrient, yet all proteins aren’t equipped with a complete set.. Hence a variety of protein sources is recommended. There are essential amino acids, conditionally-essential amino acids, and non-essential amino acids.
Essential amino acid: the body can not synthesize the amino acid on its own. You have to find a food or supplementary source of these amino acids for consumption.
Conditionally-essential amino acid: the body can generate what’s required at a fast enough rate on its own in some cases, but not in others IE vigorous exercise such as resistance training and high intensity cardio.
Non-essential amino acid: the body can construct these amino acids without aid.
L-glutamine is a conditionally-essential amino acid and the most abundant amino acid in your entire body. Glutamine soaks up and distributes nitrogen.
Nitrogen is a structural component of amino acids, you may have heard of nitrogen balance. When your nitrogen balance is positive you build muscle, when negative you lose it - you don’t want to lose muscle.
The more protein you consume and the more intense your physical stress is the faster you’ll blow through l-glutamine stores, which can be found in your muscle, plasma, and several other places in the body.. most abundant amino acid.
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What Is L-Glutamine Good For
As one of the structures of protein of course glutamine has hypertrophic properties, but is also pleasing to the immune system and sports a supporting role for energy, yet is mostly held in high regard over having an anti-catabolic nature.
Catabolism is when your muscle protein is being broken down. Anabolism is the building of your muscle protein. When your bouts of catabolism surpass stints of anabolism you lose muscle. You don’t want to lose muscle.
This starts to explain why glutamine is in every serious bodybuilder’s supplement stack.
The benefit pile also includes cell growth, tissue repair, enhanced glycogen storage [4], cell hydration via water transportation & absorption, and yes that means it promotes fuller muscles.
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How Much L-Glutamine Per Day
To take advantage of the powerful effects of this popular amino acid you have to keep your dosage up consistently. If your workouts are tough and your out of the gym physical stress is high you’ll run through this bad boy like nobody’s business.
Not to mention, as you should recall, high protein intake is optimal for hypertrophy. It’s also optimal for burning off l-glutamine stores. As you replenish glutamine from protein sources it raises your glutamine needs.
L-glutamine is conditionally-essential so your precise amount varies by size and activity level. Supplementing with anywhere from 20-30 grams or more daily should have you covered [2]. A pub med study showed up to 50 grams of l-glutamine per day for a 150 pound individual showed no concerns [2]. So potential side effects shouldn’t keep you awake at night. Get your rest so you can experience your nightly growth hormone spike.
Remember this for life. Physiological stress like exercise, lactation, pregnancy, a calorie deficit, disease, physical trauma, illness, and so on all deplete your glutamine supply.
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When To Take Glutamine
A solid time to throw down a 5-10 gram serving of glutamine is upon wakeup, during a lift, after the workout, and/or before bed. The goal is to keep your stored amount up to par and lower the risk of muscular breakdown. If you find yourself short on glutamine your body will deconstruct muscle protein to create more glutamine.
80% of l-glutamine is stored in your skeletal muscle, you really don’t want to be in an l-glutamine deficit, for it’ll put you at a greater risk for catabolizing your muscle for fuel. That means losing hard-earned muscle.
Note: losing muscle means losing some of your metabolic potency. The more muscle you carry the harder your body works to maintain it, which burns more calories making it harder for lost fat to return.
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What Do Studies Say About Glutamine
There are inconclusive studies on, whether or not glutamine supplementation helps for adding muscle. Although it’s clear based on our abundant use, extra glutamine assists with cell repair and minimizes breakdown in fatigued athletes, as well as immunocompromised individuals.
For years I’ve given glutamine a shot on my own.
Personal case study.
I noticed betterment in muscle retention when cutting weight. In dieting for fat loss you’re applying a calorie deficit, so there’s a fine dance you have to do to maintain as much muscle as possible. L-glutamine seemed to help me stay on beat.
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L-Glutamine Sources
L-glutamine supplements
Beef
Egg
Seafood
Chicken
Pork
Casein protein
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So, It’s About That Time
As always, move based on your goals. L-glutamine has a constant turnover in the body, yet can possibly help build muscle as well as limit muscle breakdown. If you’re on a weight loss journey I recommend giving it a go. If you’re bulking supplementation is still effective, since you’re tasked to ensure your stores are up to par with your strenuous activity and astronomical protein consumption. If you give it a whirl let me know the results as you put those muscles to use. Be Great.
Sources:
[1] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc6266414
[2] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18806122/