Glutamine or L-Glutamine is an essential amino acid that can be found in a whole host of foods such as meats, fish, beans, dairy, virtually anything that has a protein composition.

It is the most abundant amino acid found in the human body with its main function being – you guessed it! Protein synthesis! Of course there are many other functions glutamine serves the human body that is particularly interesting to bodybuilder which would be:

-Regulating acid levels in the kidneys

- Major cellular energy source

- And a nitrogen donor for many anabolic processes.

With all these major functions taking place at the hands of L-glutamine amino’s, its no wonder bodybuilders have been taking it as a supplement for many years.

But Why Take Glutamine Powder Anyway?

After a strenuous workout, your body will be depleted of many things such as water, energy, and nutrients.  When you lift weights, you are tearing down your muscle fibers for re-growth which is why you feel sore after-wards.  It’s during this time that you need glutamine supplementation to assist with cell reconstruction for optimum growth because it is the main catalyst for protein synthesis as we learned just a moment ago.

Click Here For A Full List Of Glutamine Products

What Happens If I don’t Take Glutamine After I Workout?

If you don’t take Glutamine Powder after your workouts you run the risk of muscle catabolism, which is to say, you could quite possibly be forcing your body to breakdown muscle tissues so it can compensate for a lack of glutamine.  Your body does a really good job at maintaining a level of homeostasis so when you workout hard and deplete your body of glutamine through shuttling nitrogen, using it up as energy, and other factors, your body will pull it from where it is available to compensate for where it is depleted.  This balancing of energy will result in muscle deterioration over time and you will have lost muscle instead of gaining it.

Glutamine Side Effects?

There are no significant side-effects to supplementing with it accept for an upset stomach which only happens if you take large quantities of it at one sitting. As long as you follow the directions on the label you should be fine.

How much should I take?

For the serious bodybuilder 1000mg is what you should be taking.

For intermediate weight trainers 500-750mg is sufficient.

For the beginner 200-500mg is good.

Always follow the manufacturer label for recommended dosage.

What Products Do You Recommend?

There are dozens of products out there to choose from and in the case of Glutamine Powder, many products claim to be the best, but only very few really are.  The glutamine supplements below ARE the best that you can buy anywhere, based on personal trials as well as feedback from hundreds of bodybuilders around the world…

#1 – MHP Glutamine-SR – 1000mg

I have been taking Glutamine-SR for several months now and I love it.  It has a 12 hour sustained release system that has saved me more muscle growth than anything out there.

It was the 2009 glutamine supplement of the year so you know it’s hot.

Buy Now – MHP Glutamine-SR 1000mg

#2 – PrimaForce GlutaForm – 1000mg

This is a solid product that is 100% glutamine.  The price is really good for 1000mg so you really can’t go wrong with it.  It doesn’t have any special delivery system like MHP or Higher Power, but for the price you get a good solid product that does its job well. There’s nothing bad about this product, it delivers on its promise every time.

Buy Now – PrimaForce Glutaform- 1000mg

#3 – Optimum Glutamine Powder – 1000mg

Optimum makes good products – period.  I don’t have anything bad to say about this product other than the fact that it doesn’t have the same delivery system that MHP has.

The pricing is a bit cheaper for 1000mg and that is always a plus, but the over-all quality just isn’t as good.

Buy Now – Optimum Glutamine- 1000mg

#4 – Higher Power Glutamine AKG-1000mg

Higer Power products are made by bodybuilding.com and typically they really aren’t my favorite products compared to others, BUT there are 2 things that I like about this product.

The pricing is excellent for how much you get and it contains AKG which increases absorption.  Downside, the taste is a bit chalky and sour.

Buy Now – Higher Power Glutamine- 1000mg

#5 – VPX Ultra Pure L-Glutamine – 700mg

VPX is a well-known company that makes many well-known products such as Redline, Meltdown, and NO Shotgun so you know that there is a certain level of quality to be expected from them.  This glutamine powder is 700mg which is decent for the beginner or intermediate health enthusiast.

Buy Now – VPX Ultra Pure L-Glutamine, 700mg

Click Here For A Full List Of Glutamine Products

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