There are so many glutamine benefits for gaining muscle and speeding up recovery to aid individuals seeking to enhance their progress to reach their health and fitness goals.
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid the human body naturally produces, making it one of the nonessential amino acids. During times of stress and critical illness, the body requires glutamine and its health benefits, resulting in it being a conditionally essential amino acid used to support the immune system and reduce recovery time.
One of its many benefits as an amino acid is that glutamine also reduces muscle damage, encourages lean muscle mass, and decreases recovery time between workout sessions. With the help of a glutamine supplement and a balanced diet, you can receive the benefits of glutamine for muscle growth. Continue reading below to learn more about glutamine benefits for gaining muscle!
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The Benefits of Glutamine for Muscle Growth & Recovery
Whether it be glutamine for bodybuilding, muscle gain, or post-exercise recovery, this amino acid is teeming with benefits. If you want to enhance muscle growth and recovery to achieve your health and fitness goals, keep reading to learn how glutamine can drive results!
Improves Athletic Performance & Endurance
Nicknamed the anti-fatigue amino acid, glutamine is a hype-worthy nutrient in sports nutrition used to boost exercise performance and reduce fatigue. L-glutamine supplementation can benefit athletes looking to upgrade their workouts and athletic performance by reducing muscle fatigue and providing ample energy to sustain an activity for longer.
Enhances Muscle Growth
Regarding l-glutamine and muscle growth, this amino acid is essential for muscle protein synthesis. Glutamine helps support muscle growth by influencing the muscle cells and their volume. This correlation is linked to enhancing muscle protein synthesis necessary to build muscle and improve muscle mass.
Depending on your goals, whether it be a bodybuilding competition or to encourage new gains, glutamine for muscle growth is necessary as a vital nutrient for supporting and growing muscle.
Shortens Recovery Time
L glutamine for muscle recovery is beneficial for individuals looking to increase muscle. When going through intense workouts, supporting muscle repair processes is crucial. It is necessary for strengthening the muscle tissue and decreasing muscle damage.
Taking glutamine for recovery reduces muscle damage markers by decreasing stress and inflammation placed on the muscle from exercise. The natural property of this nutrient and its ability to support muscle tissue recovery reduces downtime between workouts and lingering damage that would otherwise get in the way of potential progress for muscle gain.
Reduces Muscle Soreness
Glutamine for muscle soreness productively reduces delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which is believed to correlate with less muscle damage.
Studies have shown that l-glutamine supplementation diminished muscle soreness, and recovery was faster for peak torque than when not supplementing with the amino acid. So, if you’re looking to reduce DOMS after workout sessions, glutamine for sore muscles is a productive maneuver to consider!
When to Take L-Glutamine for Muscle Recovery & Growth
If you’re looking to take glutamine for muscle recovery and growth, it’s vital to time supplementation correctly. The reason is that the timing can affect the efficacy of the glutamine supplement. Timing it right can enhance the effects of this powerful nutrient for your health and fitness goals.
For muscle recovery and growth, taking glutamine after workout sessions is recommended. After intense exercise, glutamine levels are low, so supplementing with glutamine post-workout will help restock these stores to promote healing and gains. Glutamine is one of the best muscle recovery supplements, which includes BCAA supplements, so adding this to your daily routine can significantly reduce downtime between workout sessions and promote healing in the muscle for the ultimate muscle gains.
How Glutamine Works in the Body
Glutamine is one of the building blocks of protein, crucial for bodily processes. Most glutamine is synthesized in the brain and skeletal muscle, two major organs in the human body that transport glutamine.
There are many purposes of glutamine in the body, including:
- Major respiratory fuel for enterocytes and immune cells
- Stimulates anabolic functions (protein synthesis and cell growth)
- Inhibits catabolic function (protein degradation and apoptosis)
- Necessary for aiding in fetal growth
The Different Types of Amino Acid Glutamine Supplements
There are different forms of supplementation to consider when taking glutamine for its benefits. It’s essential to choose wisely regarding oral glutamine supplementation, like glutamine powder or capsules.
Glutamine Powder
Consumers are instructed to take glutamine powder with a liquid, typically cold or room temperature. Taking the powder with hot liquid is not advised as heat destroys glutamine, meaning you won’t get the supplement’s benefits.
We recommend taking a powder over the capsules for glutamine supplementation for speedier benefits. The glutamine powder mixed with a liquid is absorbed quicker than solids, such as the capsule, which will require a longer digestion time.
Glutamine Capsules
For people unfamiliar with powders, capsules can be a great alternative. Capsule provides the same benefits as a powder. However, the benefits may take longer to come into effect as it takes the body longer to process capsules than a liquid mixed with a dissolvable powder.
Foods Rich With Glutamine Amino Acids
If you’re looking to consume more glutamine through your typical diet than by taking a dietary supplement, then you’ll be pleased to know there is glutamine found in many foods, including skim milk and other dairy products. Boosting glutamine intake is easily achievable through not only a high protein diet but a well-balanced one.
Foods containing glutamine:
- Dairy products (yogurt, milk, cottage cheese)
- Leafy greens
- Meat (poultry, pork, beef)
- Fish
- Eggs
Why You Should Consider Glutamine Supplementation
Though achieving the recommended intake of glutamine is easily achievable through one’s diet, and the human body naturally synthesizes this amino acid, there are some cases where supplementing glutamine is crucial for supporting the immune system and protecting the body against harmful viruses.
Cases where glutamine levels become low and dietary intake is insufficient for providing for the body’s health and functions occur during stress, illness, or pregnancy. This is when the nonessential amino acid glutamine becomes a conditionally essential amino acid needed to support immune and gut health.
In such situations, a glutamine supplement is often necessary to support lowered glutamine stores. The same can be said for muscle building and recovery for individuals looking to achieve health and fitness goals, as glutamine stores become low after intense exercise. A supplement can help rejuvenate these stores to boost recovery and muscle gain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much l-glutamine should I take for muscle growth?
Taking 5-10 grams of glutamine daily is recommended for those seeking to improve muscle mass gains. It is typically advised to spread your daily amount into several doses across the day, though this can change depending on the brand.
Does glutamine help with recovery?
Yes, glutamine is a powerful nutrient that aids the body in recovery processes. Not only is it essential for protein synthesis, but it’s also necessary for reducing stress and inflammation in muscle tissue.
Should I take glutamine before or after workout sessions?
The answer to this question depends on your goals. We recommend taking a glutamine supplement post-workout if you’re trying to decrease recovery time between workout sessions and build lean muscle mass. If you’re trying to enhance athletic performance and energy levels, we recommend taking glutamine before your workout.
