In this week’s podcast, we discuss the role of glutamine in the body. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. Amino acids are primarily used as building blocks for proteins throughout the body. Glutamine can be produced by our body but it’s considered a conditionally essential amino acid, because there are times when our body can’t produce enough. For example, when someone is sick or has a diet that is lacking in various nutrients.
The reason most people supplement with glutamine is to achieve muscular enhancement and for recovery from workouts to be increased. However, this reasoning is misguided. That’s because the vast majority of dietary glutamine gets metabolized by our GI tract and never reaches our skeletal muscles.
That’s why there has never been any strong evidence supporting the notion that increased glutamine through supplementation leads to increases in muscle gain or strength. To learn more about the real reason to supplement with glutamine and why you shouldn’t waste your money on it in the hopes of increasing muscle mass, listen to this week’s podcast.
Links To Studies Mentioned
The Roles of Glutamine in the Intestine and Its Implication in Intestinal Diseases
Glutamine: Benefits, Uses and Side Effects
Glutamine as an Immunonutrient
The Effects of High-Dose Glutamine Ingestion on Weightlifting Performance
