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Many bodybuilding supplements these days contain glutamine. As one of the most common ingredients in nutrition products, let's explore what glutamine is and the benefits it provides to us.
As one of the most important amino acids, glutamine is actually the most plentiful type of amino acid in the body. It's found in beef, organ meat, chicken and beans. Glutamine is mainly used to help the small intestine perform at an optimum level but it is also found in muscles, skin, the kidneys and liver. Glutamine also fuels the immune system as well as maximizes protein synthesis.
Most people consume enough glutamine through a normal diet and have no need to take a supplement. However, anyone under stress may very well benefit from a glutamine supplement. Stress, such as in the form of torn down muscle fibers as a result of lifting weights, increases the need for glutamine.
Bodybuilders consume a lot of glutamine because, when working out, their glutamine consumption exceeds their body's production and they see a decrease in muscle protein synthesis. This is what causes muscle wasting. Severe cases of muscle wasting are seen in illness and in trauma. While it's not likely to be that severe when it comes to working out, it certainly can inhibit your ability to gain muscle after intense workouts.
If you're working out hard and want to put on muscle, a glutamine supplement is very important. It will help stimulate muscle protein synthesis by contributing nitrogen to build proteins, increase growth hormone, decrease muscle deterioration, increase endurance, decrease muscle recovery time and decrease the chance of getting an infection by boosting your immune system. There is no reason you should not take glutamine if you're serious about training hard and gaining muscle.
You should aim to take about one to five grams of glutamine each day. Serious bodybuilders often take more than five grams. If you fall in this category, just be sure to take steps to maximize absorption, otherwise you'll be wasting your hard earned cash. To do so, make sure to take your glutamine supplement when your body has the greatest need for it, first thing in the morning or immediately after a workout. If you need to take more, other good times would be about one hour prior to working out and just before going to bed.
To summarize, glutamine plays a very important role in everyone's body. If you're training hard in the gym, it's especially important to keep your body healthy and disease free and allow you to really pack on the muscle.
