Is L-Glutamine an unnecessary supplement?

Many self-proclaimed "experts" claim that glutamine is essentially a useless supplement. You can read why these opinions arise, how it really is with the effects of glutamine and whether investing in a supplement with its content is pointless.

About Glutamine

Glutamine is one of the most concentrated amino acids in the body. More than 60% of the total amount of amino acids is found in skeletal muscle. Glutamine is also used by many other tissues. It also forms a support for the body's immune and digestive systems and participates in other important processes in the body. Glutamine is made up of 19% nitrogen, making it the primary transporter of nitrogen into your muscle cells.

Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, which means that the body can make it on its own. It is precisely because of this fact that assumptions arise that there is no need to supplement it additionally. However, the truth is that glutamine does not "just happen" in the body. Its formation is linked to the synthesis of other amino acids, which can lead to their deficiency and the body can then be deprived of the benefits that other types of amino acids offer. For this reason alone, its supplementation is worth considering.

Use of L-Glutamine in sports

The level of this amino acid depends on various factors. For example, pregnancy and breastfeeding significantly reduce glutamine stores in the body, as well as exhausting exercise, illness, starvation or extreme caloric deficit, rapid growth, and other cases of extreme physiological stress.

Yes, exercise is stressful for the body, which puts more pressure on our body's immune system and makes us more susceptible to illness. After this load, the immune system (and not only it) requires larger doses of glutamine and takes it from the muscles. Thus, during intense training, glutamine levels in your body are greatly depleted, reducing strength, endurance and increasing the time required for recovery. After a really hard workout, it can take up to 6 days for glutamine levels to be fully replenished.

Therefore, if you train really hard and intensively, you should not delay supplementing glutamine. In addition, glutamine plays a key role in protein synthesis. Studies show that L-glutamine supplementation can help minimize muscle breakdown while improving protein metabolism. Also of interest to strength athletes is that glutamine has also been shown to increase growth hormone levels under certain conditions.

L-Glutamine in the diet

Glutamine has anti-catabolic effects, preventing muscle breakdown. This will be especially appreciated by people who are reducing weight, are therefore in a caloric deficit and do not want to lose their hard-built muscles. Especially in the reduction phase, glutamine's ability to reduce sweet cravings is also a positive effect. Glutamine is needed to deliver optimal performance. This amino acid also ensures a positive nitrogen balance. However, despite glutamine's various positive functions in the body, few studies actually show that it directly increases muscle mass, decreases body fat percentage, or increases muscle strength in healthy individuals.

Benefits of L-Glutamine supplementation

Is L-glutamine part of your supplementation? If not, let's briefly summarize the advantages that should make you at least think about its use. Research shows that glutamine is one of the most important amino acids for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. It provides the following benefits:

Glutamine helps restore glycogen, i.e. replenish energy.

Supports protein synthesis.

It supports a positive nitrogen balance.

It increases the production of growth hormone.

It ensures the regulation of the acid-base balance in the kidneys.

It helps better regeneration

It has a positive effect on the intestinal biome (especially the large intestine).

It plays an important role in the immune system.

Improves sleep quality.

It has anti-catabolic abilities.

It reduces the desire for sweets.

Improves the absorbability of creatine.

It is indispensable for brain metabolism.

How about the dosage?

Optimal intake is (as with most supplements) individual. However, there is definitely no need to overdo its supplementation. The daily dose can range from 5-20g, in the case of bodybuilders this dose can be even higher. It seems ideal to divide the daily dose into two or three portions, specifically the best moments for its supplementation are in the morning, after training and before going to bed. No adverse effects associated with its excessive supplementation have yet been proven with certainty, but it is really unnecessary to exaggerate it somehow.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-199621020-00002

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22990615

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24257571

https://www.jimstoppani.com/supplements/glutamine