What is glutamine?
Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, which means that the body can only produce it, but it can also be found in foods such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, cabbage, beans and spinach. Although glutamine is a technically non-essential amino acid, it can often be said to be a conditionally essential amino acid because in extreme conditions the body may be left without sufficient amounts and unable to produce enough. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle. About 60% of skeletal muscle is glutamine, and its growth in popularity in recent years is due to its influence and contribution to protein synthesis and preservation of muscle mass. Glutamine also helps increase natural hormone levels (important for muscle mass) as well as maintain a healthy immune system.How to take it?
Glutamine should be one of the basic supplements for anyone who wants to maintain muscle mass during intense and / or frequent workouts. After intense exercise, the level of glutamine in the body decreases significantly. When the body needs more glutamine than it can produce, the body becomes glutamine deficient.During this condition, the glutamine stored in the muscles can be used to supply the rest of the body, especially the immune system cells that need glutamine to function normally.
If you train hard and aim to build muscle, but your glutamine intake is low, your body may end up in a state of catabolism where muscle breakdown occurs.
While glutamine levels will naturally increase on their own, this process can still take some time, primarily depending on exercise intensity and diet, and therefore glutamine supplementation is an effective and quick way to compensate for glutamine levels. It should be noted that our ability to produce glutamine decreases with age, and therefore its supplementation is especially recommended for older athletes.
When to take it?
The best time to take glutamine is after training because that is the time when your glutamine level will be the lowest. In addition to this time, it is recommended to take it in the morning as well as before bedtime. By taking this regularly, you will ensure the necessary level of glutamine, and especially glutamine in the muscles for optimal performance and recovery.
How much to take?
If you train intensively 10-15g a day will be enough as 5g right after training. Also keep in mind that many of the foods we mentioned above also contain glutamine, and consuming them will also increase their intake.