​Glutamine Supplements: An Essential Guide

What is glutamine?

Glutamine, also known as l-glutamine, is an amino acid found in the muscles and transferred by the blood into different organ systems. Glutamine is a building block for making proteins in the body. It's also needed to make other amino acids and glucose. Glutamine powder might help gut function, immune function, and other processes, especially in times of stress when the body uses more glutamine.  Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in the body and l-glutamine is a form of it that is often used in  supplements.

What does glutamine do for your body?

Glutamine is an important energy source for intestinal and immune cells. Glutamine is also thought to help with wound healing and recovery from surgery. Some studies have shown that glutamine increases muscle mass and strength, which is why glutamine powder is often taken by bodybuilders and professional athletes.

Health benefits of glutamine

Glutamine might help support a healthy inflammatory response. Some research suggests that glutamine can help regulate inflammation, especially in people with autoimmune diseases. L-Glutamine also supplies the cells that line your gut with energy. This is especially beneficial for people with intestinal disorders, such as leaky gut syndrome. Preliminary research suggests that glutamine can help heal a damaged gut lining and improve gut function.

Several studies have shown that L-glutamine supplementation can improve heart health by reducing high blood pressure and protecting the heart from damage caused by a heart attack.

Additionally, glutamine might help fight exercise fatigue. A few small studies have found that l-glutamine can help reduce fatigue during long bouts of exercise.

Foods high in glutamine

Any food that's high in protein will be a good source of glutamine, choices include:

• Meat (including seafood and poultry)
• Eggs
• Cheeses (cottage cheese, ricotta, mozzarella)
• Nuts and nut butters
• Beans, lentils and other legumes
• Seeds such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
• Whole grain foods including oats and quinoa

When is the best time to take glutamine?

The best time to take glutamine is before you eat or drink anything. Amino acids are best absorbed on an empty stomach. It has been found that if you take BCAAs and glutamine together. In one preclinical study, supplementing with glutamine and BCAAs helped support exercise recovery more than supplementing with just one of them alone, which is why a lot of people take them pre-workout and post-workout. Take into consideration glutamine powder might be absorbed better. Typically, liquids are absorbed faster than solids. A tablet or capsule is going to be digested over a longer period of time.

Can you take glutamine and creatine together?

Glutamine is an important amino acid that plays a crucial role in supporting cell health. It is a key component of protein synthesis, and it helps to protect cells from exercise-induced damage. Glutamine levels are often depleted by intense exercise, which is why glutamine supplementation is often recommended for athletes. Glutamine can also help to reduce exercise-related fatigue and promote muscle recovery.

Creatine is another amino acid that offers a variety of benefits for athletes. It helps to increase exercise performance and strength, and it also encourages lean muscle mass and healthy muscle tissue. Creatine supplementation is often recommended for people who are looking to gain muscle mass or improve their strength training.

Combining creatine and glutamine can provide important nutrients to your cells, fight exercise fatigue, and help you maintain muscle mass. This can be an excellent combination for pre-workout supplements, especially if one of your goals is supporting lean muscle mass. If you are considering taking these supplements, PROLAB Glutamine Powder and PROLAB Creatine Monohydrate are the way to go!

Take away

Glutamine is an amino acid -- a building block of protein.

Glutamine helps regulate cell growth, function and removes excess ammonia from the body.

Glutamine plays an important role in many of your body's functions.

Whether you're an athlete looking for some post-workout support to encourage better muscle mass and faster recovery, an everyday health seeker who wants to support optimal immune function and intestinal health, or have any combination of these goals, you can't go wrong by adding l-glutamine to your supplement routine.