Supplements 101: Glutamine

• Increases muscle contraction abilities
• Promotes glycogen storage
• Protects immune system
• Promotes muscle building
• Prevents catabolism
• Elevates growth hormone

Sounds like a pretty cool supplement, huh? Glutamine is a must have supplement in any weight lifter's tool kit. Its benefits were valued in the realm of bodybuilding for years, but now this amazing supplement is finding its way to the mainstream. More and more athletes and recreational weight lifters are starting to use it and for all of the above reasons. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the muscle. It is also the first amino acid to be released into the blood stream for the purpose of extracting energy. During extreme dieting and vigorous exercise, glutamine stores are getting depleted and it may take a while to replenish them without supplementation. Depleted glutamine stores can cause muscle catabolism (muscle breakdown). Good news is that whole food protein sources such as meat, eggs, nuts and dairy consist of 4-8% glutamine and you can get a good amount of it simply by eating right. However, glutamine also plays a big role in your immune system, which uses large amounts of it. So muscle tissue and immune system together require such high doses of glutamine that its supplementation is required.

Dosages vary from 5-80 grams daily. 80 grams a day loading phase was recommended by a famous strength coach, Charles Poliquin, who had given it to his athletes to repair their intestinal lining. This increased their abilities to extract nutrients from food and therefore to add muscle more effectively. I would strongly recommend try this trick, if you don't mind taking 10 grams of glutamine every 2 waking hours. The most appropriate time to take glutamine would be before and after the workout and upon waking, as these times are the most stressful ones. Personally, I take 10 grams on each of those times and it works wonders in terms of recovery, especially when I diet for a show. Try it out for yourself and enjoy the benefits!

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