Within the body, glutamine is stored in your muscles and lungs.
You can get it naturally by supplementing your diet with an increase of glutamine-rich foods. Glutamine is naturally found in high protein foods such as dairy, fish, meat, beans. It can also be found in vegetables like spinach, cabbage, and parsley. Although these foods provide glutamine, they do not provide as much as supplements do.
Generally, the dosage of the supplement used is 5g to 10g daily, which is usually given in three divided doses a day. [4] X Research source Gleeson M. Dosing and efficacy of glutamine supplementation in human exercise and sport training. J Nutr. 2008 Oct;138(10):2045S-2049S. However, the doctor may tell you to take up to 14g. People with medical conditions that may affect excretion of glutamine, such as people with kidney or liver disease, should always ask their doctor before beginning any new supplements. Glutamine supplements are used for many different issues, however not all of them have strong studies behind them.
Glutamine is available as capsules, a powder, a liquid, and as tablets. The powder and liquid form may be better for those who have trouble swallowing or are using the supplement for stomatitis.
Glutamine powder or liquid can be mixed with water or juice with a low level of acidity like apple or carrot juice. Taking glutamine with acidic juices (like orange or grapefruit juice) or hot liquids will degrade the glutamate and therefore diminish any benefits.
It is generally recommend to avoid very high doses of any supplement, including glutamine, unless prescribed by your doctor for specific conditions Be aware that glutamine is completely different from glutamate, glutamic acid, monosodium glutamate, and gluten. Therefore, people suffering from gluten intolerance do not need to worry about having an adverse reaction to glutamine. However, in some rare cases, people will experience a bad reaction to glutamine. Symptoms include stomach pain, vomiting, headache, sweating, and joint pain. If this is the case, you should stop taking glutamine immediately and consult your physician.
Glutamine also helps reduce infections. The innate muscle recovery properties of glutamine also make it extremely effective with patients who have suffered from burns or undergo surgeries.
Although this is a popular method, there have been no conclusive studies with evidence for its use in bodybuilding. [8] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Some studies indicate it may help with stomatitis, which is an inflammation of the mucosa of the mouth, and diarrhea associated with chemotherapy.
Although there is some evidence that glutamine helps with diarrhea and inflammation of mucosa near the mouth, studies have not yet shown that it helps with other digestive conditions such as Crohn’s disease. [11] X Research source Glutamine may also be helpful in promoting weight gain in patients with HIV/AIDS. A few studies indicate that glutamine, in addition to other supplements, may lead to weight gain and an increase in muscle mass. This is helpful since patients with HIV/AIDS often suffer severe weight and muscle loss. In addition, it may help these patients absorb nutrients better, which is a consideration with this condition.
