If you've read a bit about diet and exercise, you've probably heard of Glutamine and amino acids before. But what exactly is Glutamine and why should you use it? Does it apply to everyone? You'll find answers to these questions in this post!
What is glutamine?
Glutamine is the most common amino acid in the human body. It is one of the 20 amino acids found in protein and is essential for muscle building . The body produces glutamine itself, but during hard physical activity or serious illness, supplementation may be necessary, because the body itself is unable to produce sufficient amounts. In terms of dosage, 10-20 grams of glutamine per day is recommended to avoid low levels in the body. Check out our selection here !
Glutamine comes in two different forms: L-glutamine and D-glutamine . L-glutamine is found in foods and supplements. Some supplements call it just L-glutamine, while others use the broader term glutamine. While L-glutamine is used to make proteins and perform other functions, D-glutamine is relatively unimportant to the body.
Five benefits of taking Glutamine:
- Accelerates muscle growth
- Faster recovery
- Improves the immune system
- It stimulates growth hormone
- Increased cell volume
Why use Glutamine?
Using glutamine helps maintain general health, but this of course depends on how much glutamine you have in your body naturally. As mentioned earlier, it may be beneficial for those who train intensely to use glutamine supplements, as it can be difficult for the body to maintain levels on its own. When you take glutamine, the circulating levels in the body increase. This causes the body to not have to produce glutamine, and focuses on the other essential amino acids. This allows the body to use glutamine for muscle building and to strengthen the immune system . In addition, studies show that L-glutamine can reduce sugar cravings because it helps stabilize blood sugar.
As mentioned, glutamine is involved in both protein synthesis and protein turnover, but it also has a major impact on BCAA metabolism. In addition, it helps maintain intestinal function, transport fluid to the muscles, and produce glucose.
In summary, we can recommend glutamine to anyone who wants to perform better !
If you are unsure whether you have low levels of glutamine in your body, you can look for the following symptoms:
- Muscle wasting
- Low energy
- Increased susceptibility to infections
- Poor muscle rehydration
How to choose the right glutamine?
There are countless choices when it comes to supplements , and therefore it can be difficult to navigate your way to the best products. We recommend buying Glutamine from well-known manufacturers, so you know what you are getting. Glutamine comes in powder form and thus you can dose what suits you. See our selection of Glutamine here !
Glutamine in food
Almost all foods that contain protein will contain some glutamine, but the amount varies. Animal foods are good sources due to their protein content. By focusing on getting enough protein in your daily diet, it is easy to potentially increase the amount of glutamine you consume.
The following is the percentage of protein made up of L-glutamine in each of these foods:
-Eggs: 4.4% (0.6 g per 100 g of eggs)
-Beef: 4.8% (1.2 g per 100 g of beef)
-Milk: 8.1% (0.3 g per 100 g of milk)
-Tofu: 9.1% (0.6 g per 100 g of tofu)
-White rice: 11.1% (0.3 g per 100 g of rice)
-Maize: 16.2% (0.4 g per 100 g of maize)
Glutamine for health
The body can produce glutamine itself, but in cases of serious illness or strenuous physical activity, the body will not be able to produce sufficient amounts and will be dependent on dietary supplements.
One of the most important functions of glutamine is its role in the immune system. Glutamine is an important source for immune cells, including white blood cells and some intestinal cells. If the body's need for glutamine is greater than the body's ability to produce it, the body may begin to break down protein stores, such as in muscle, to release more glutamine. Immune system function may also be impaired if the body has insufficient amounts of glutamine available.
Glutamine as a dietary supplement
There is little research on the use of glutamine supplements for muscle growth or strength performance. However, there is research that glutamine can improve gut health, the immune system, speed up the recovery process, and help wounds heal faster.
See our selection of glutamine here.