Glutamine

L-Glutamine For Weight Loss & Fitness

L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acids in the body, making up at least 60% of muscle tissues, which is why it has long been a favourite for weight loss among athletes and the gym crowd. Glutamine is considered a non-essential amino acid because the body can make its own. We also get glutamine in our diet, in foods such as animal and plant-based protein, though research tells us that most people simply do not get enough through diet alone. Compounding the problem is the fact that many factors can affect our glutamine levels, things like inflammation, stress, intense exercise, alcoholism, injury, disease, infections, immune disorders, and digestive conditions. Unsurprisingly, supplementing with glutamine has been shown to improve all conditions associated with the above factors.

 When it comes to sports nutrition, glutamine is especially well-suited to the promotion of lean muscle mass, improving body composition (fat loss/ increase in muscle mass), exercise performance enhancement, assisting muscle cell repair after exercise, and boosting weight loss. Just as importantly, glutamine has been used very effectively to help rebuild lean tissue following convalescence, surgery, or muscle wasting illnesses, this last application may be especially useful in the elderly, oftentimes bedridden population, to help prevent/delay sarcopenia and loss of independence.

Benefits of L-Glutamine

• Improves Athletic Performance
• Prevents Muscle Wasting
• Promotes Muscle Growth
• Speeds Up Post-Exercise Recovery

Who Should Take L-Glutamine For Weight Loss?

A good glutamine supplement may be recommended to you if you’re a bodybuilder, athlete, or practice any endurance sport to help stimulate and support muscle building, as well as prevent muscle breakdown. Glutamine may also be recommended to you if you’re looking to speed up muscle recovery after your workouts and/or injuries, so you can quickly get back in the gym. Many also opt for a glutamine supplement to help control cravings and support fat loss/weight loss. Of course, practitioners may also recommend you add glutamine to your supplement regimen if you suffer from any GI condition.

L-Glutamine Supplements For Weight Loss

Glutamine supplements are extremely popular in sports nutrition and are widely available in

capsule and powder forms, as well as added to pre-workout and post-workout blends (though studies suggest it is most effective used in post-workout stacks). Glutamine is also a frequent addition to GI formulas to promote digestive health and treat a wide range of digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis diverticulosis & diverticulitis, and leaky gut, or any of the issues associated with leaky gut.

Glutamine supplements can be purchased either as Free Form L-glutamine, which needs to be taken with food for proper absorption, or trans-alanyl-glutamine (TAG), a form of supplement that is readily digestible and does not need food for absorption. The recommended dose can vary wildly, usually between 2 - 10g daily, and should be adapted to one’s health condition and goals.

Final Thoughts

Taking glutamine to optimize your plasma and tissue levels after intense exercise may take up to five days, so it's important to take your supplement consistently. Many people recommend combining glutamine with Branched Chain amino acids (BCAAs) to further stimulate muscle protein synthesis, as well as creatine post-workout to speed up muscle recovery and enhance muscle mass.