Choosing the Best Glutamine Supplements

There has been a huge amount of research into those supplements that have the capacity to improve performance, change body composition, and improve health.

The holy grail of health supplements, if you will.

And while there are a vast number of supplements that do unquestionably have the capacity to do one or two of these things, there are only a very few that can do all three – and do all three without causing any harmful side effects.

Which brings us to Glutamine.

What is Glutamine?

Glutamine (also known as L-Glutamine within some areas of the supplement industry) is one of the twenty amino acids found in dietary protein.

This particular amino acid is considered ‘conditionally essential’ as it cannot be synthesized within the body in amounts adequate to maintain optimal function, and subsequently also needs to be obtained through the food that we eat.

Glutamine is one of the most abundant amino acids within the body, where it makes up approximately 35% of all amino acids found within the blood.

Within this, glutamine is most commonly known for its key role as a substrate for muscle protein synthesis. This means that it is one of the key amino acids used to repair damaged muscle tissue, while also playing an integral role in the development of new muscle tissue.

Interestingly, the supplementation of glutamine has been shown to interact with the various systems of the body, where it is now known to have a multitude of positive effects.

What Are the Benefits of Taking Glutamine?

Glutamine has recently seen extensive research into its ability to impact the body in its entirety. With this in mind, the supplementation of glutamine is now known to interact with the body in an extremely positive manner.

Glutamine Supplementation and Muscle Growth and Recovery

As glutamine is one of the primary drivers for the repair and production of muscle tissue, it makes sense that its supplementation is likely to have an impact on our capacity for muscle growth – something that has been shown time and time again.

When combined with resistance training, the supplementation of glutamine has been shown to cause large implements in muscle growth – particularly when compared to those individuals who participate in resistance training and do not supplement with glutamine ^[1].

Interestingly, this has also come with an increased rate of recovery from exercise, suggesting that glutamine may offer an excellent option to reduce recovery times after heavy endurance or strength based exercise sessions ^[2].

Glutamine Supplementation and Fat Loss

The increased consumption of glutamine in healthy adults has also shown strong association with an increased rate of human growth hormone production ^[3] – a hormone that plays an important role in the metabolism of fat mass.

As a result, the supplementation of glutamine has been suggested to increase the amount of fat we break down and use for energy – leading to a substantially increased rate of fat loss. We should note that this effect is likely to be enhanced considerably when combined with an appropriate exercise regime.

Glutamine Supplementation and Gastrointestinal Health

Interestingly, in conjunction with its large impact on body composition, glutamine has also been shown to improve other areas of health – with specific emphasis on the health of the digestive system.

As glutamine is a key structural protein, it is used in the development of tissue throughout the entire body – including the digestive tract. Additionally, many of the tissues within the gut actually use glutamine as a key source of fuel ^[4].

Through these two mechanisms, the supplementation of glutamine has been shown to improve the health of the cells within the digestive system AND increase the integrity of the intestinal wall.

This improves our ability to breakdown and digest food, while also reducing the likelihood of harmful bacteria entering the body through the intestinal wall.

Interestingly, this often comes with a large increase in immune system function – which is obviously of a very large benefit ^[5].

Best Glutamine Supplement Reviews

With the increasing popularity of glutamine, the supplement market has seen a rather large influx of subpar options available for purchase. Taking this into consideration, we have gone ahead and found what we believe to be the three best glutamine supplements available on the market.

Optimum Nutrition’s Glutamine Capsules

Optimum nutrition are one of the most popular supplement companies on the planet, where they consistently produce excellent quality products that have scientific evidence to support their use. This is paramount in their glutamine supplement, where it provides a potent dose of glutamine in an easy to take capsule.

While this option is slightly more expensive than some of its competitors, you can be assured of its quality and effectiveness.

BulkSupplements Pure L-Glutamine Powder

BulkSupplements are one of our favorite companies, as they frequently put out great quality supplements at extremely affordable price points.

This glutamine supplement comes in powder form, meaning that you do have to mix it with water to consume. While this may be viewed as an inconvenience in some circles, it does mean that you can tailor your intake easily and effectively, while also reducing the associated costs of capsules.

This is the best option on the market for those on a tight budget.

NOW Sports L-Glutamine Capsules

NOW are another company that have been around for a long time, consistency producing excellent products at relatively affordable prices. This glutamine supplement comes in capsule form, where it provides a solid dose of glutamine with a high rate of absorption.

Another excellent option for those looking to introduce a top quality glutamine supplement into their regime.

Take-Away Message

Glutamine is one of the few supplements on the market that has the potential to induce large changes in performance, cause significant improvement in body composition, and boost health.

With this in mind, supplementing with glutamine can cause large improvements in muscle growth while simultaneously speeding up recovery time, increase human growth hormone production and promote a heightened rate of fat loss, all while causing huge improvements in digestive health and function.

The three supplements listed above are what we believe to be the best three glutamine supplements available on the market at the moment. If you have had any experience with them, we would love to hear about it – so please drop us a comment and we will get back to you ASAP.