Do you want better gut health and a shorter recovery time post-workout? Say less. L-Glutamine (or just glutamine) is one of the lesser known supplements but it can have massive benefits for athletes, vegetarians or anyone with impaired immunity. If you want to know whether this reasonably priced amino acid is worth adding to your supplement arsenal, read below. You’ll find out all there is to know about L-Glutamine and if it could be a suitable supplement for you.
What Actually Is L-Glutamine?
L-Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid that is naturally produced in the body. It’s also found in foods like eggs, meat and whey which is why you’ll often see it marketed to vegans. Just because it is labelled as a “non-essential amino acid”, doesn’t mean you don’t need it. Without enough glutamine, your immunity, digestive health and ability to maintain muscle will suffer. Not only is glutamine the most abundant amino acid in your body, it’s also your immune system’s preferred source of fuel. The average person can easily survive without supplementation, however surviving and thriving are very different things. If you train hard, are under a lot of physical stress, are immuno-compromised or follow a vegetarian diet, taking some extra glutamine can make a big difference to your workouts and overall quality of life.
It’s Great For Immunity
The most notable benefits of this supplement are to do with your immunity. As mentioned above, your immune system prefers to use glutamine rather than glycogen as its main fuel source. Glutamine plays a vital role in a range of bodily functions, helps with inflammation and promotes the repair of damaged tissue. Those undergoing surgery, fighting cancer and burns patients often supplement to help them bounce back to their usual healthy selves. This study found that those who supplement glutamine after a knee arthroplasty operation recover faster and preserve more strength in their quad muscles compared to those who don’t. Another study shows that burns victims experience less organ damage and hypermetabolic response when they take glutamine. Finally, more research suggests that glutamine supplementation can reduce the severity of complications that come alongside cancer treatment. You shouldn’t take this as medical advice but just know that glutamine can do some amazing things for the health of your immune system.
Will It Help Me Put On Muscle
Although some people recommend supplemental glutamine to help with muscle gains, that’s not really what it’s for. Adding a sprinkle of it to your protein shake won’t turn you into Arnold Schwarzenegger however it can benefit muscle in other ways. Studies show that glutamine supplements effectively reduce muscle soreness after a tough workout. They do this by replenishing your lost glutamine stores, minimising your cortisol response and speeding up the process of muscle protein synthesis. The faster you recover from training, the sooner you can workout again and make more gains. So although glutamine’s main function isn’t to build muscle, it can enable you to work out more intensely without feeling crippled the following day.
Can It Improve My Endurance?
As well as assisting muscle recovery, studies show that glutamine supplementation can help with endurance. This study found that drinking glutamine alongside carbohydrates helped replenish glycogen stores post-workout more efficiently compared to drinking a carb drink on its own. Further research suggests that supplementation can reduce the accumulation of ammonia and improve markers of fatigue. This is important for those who do endurance sports like running or cycling. These athletes need to be able to minimise fatigue as much as possible. If glutamine makes a tangible difference to their post-workout recovery and ability to store glycogen, they will be able to perform better in their chosen sports. Taking glutamine won’t feel like doing a line of cocaine, however it can make a noticeable difference to your energy levels. Especially for those who train for extended periods of time.
Will It Help With Gut Health?
Another interesting glutamine perk is that it can improve the balance of your microbiota and make your gut lining more resilient. This is appealing for those with conditions like Irritable Bowel Disease. Research shows that glutamine strengthens your intestine walls and can reduce permeability (meaning that food is less likely to seep out). Unfortunately a lot of the studies we have are observational. This doesn’t mean they aren’t useful or accurate. Observational data has led to many important scientific discoveries over the years. We just need more research done in the area of glutamine on gut health before we draw any hard conclusions. Caveats aside, the evidence so far is optimistic and plenty of glutamine users have noticed a positive change in their digestive health. The only way to know for sure if you’ll reap a benefit is to try it for yourself.
How To Take Glutamine
NZProtein glutamine comes in a convenient, tasteless powder that can be added to protein shakes, pre-workout, BCAA’s or just stirred with water alone. Customer reviews say it mixes well, noticeably improves muscle recovery and even dulls those afternoon food cravings. It is typically advised that you take it alongside food at a frequency of 2-3 times per day. The serving size is five grams however research suggests that an ideal daily dose is 0.3g per kg of bodyweight. If you’re on the heavier side, you’ll need more glutamine to notice a difference. Luckily there are no known adverse effects so if you do take a little too much, it won’t mess you up severely. Only $27 for a 60 serving tub means your wallet won’t be too negatively impacted either.
Conclusion
Those bodybuilders you might have seen harping on about the benefits of glutamine might actually be onto something. Taking it won’t magically build more muscle but it can improve your gut health, immunity and ability to recover from illness and exercise. Those on a plant-based diet, recovering from surgery, training hard or in a physiologically stressed out state should seriously consider adding this amino acid to their supplement regime. If you’ve taken NZProtein glutamine before, leave us a review and let us know what you think.
Written by Lauren Carruthers.