Again one of those aforementioned words when it comes to muscle recovery is the word ‘Glutamine’ but what exactly is Glutamine? What are its benefits? And will it work for you? Let’s take a look…
What Is Glutamine?
Glutamine is the most common amino acid found in your muscles and is the major factor in how well we recover from an intense workout. The lower the Glutamine levels in your muscles, the slower it will be for your strength and stamina to return to common levels. Consuming a Glutamine supplement means you can get back to maximum training capacity quicker than you could through the natural Glutamine that your muscles produce, a quicker recovery period, a quicker turnaround, result!
Is It The Supplement For You?
If you’re gym goals are to maintain muscle mass during training then look no further than Glutamine. After you work out, the amount of Glutamine in the body decreases severely which can put your body into a ‘catabolic state’ this means that your body is breaking down its own muscle tissue which depletes the muscle, which in return means that it becomes more difficult to keep muscle mass!
Also, as you get older the natural Glutamine created by the body decreases, as this happens it takes longer for you to recover from your regular gym sessions, longer recovery is never a good thing! A helping hand from a Glutamine supplement will offer that reduced recovery period.
When Do You Consume Glutamine? And How Often?
Glutamine should be consumed once you have completed your gym session, this is when the natural Glutamine produced is at its lowest level and requires the heightened levels, and a simple 5g dose would be enough to feed the muscles. Any regular gym goer, whether you lift weights or burn your calories through cardio will enter ‘catabolic state’ through the evening whilst you sleep, so another 5g dose of Glutamine in the morning will help prepare you for the day ahead!
On average, you would want to consume between 10-15g of Glutamine on your work-out days, but it is also wise to remember that your diet can contribute greatly towards the intake of Glutamine. It’s always recommended to follow the guidelines set from the brand that you consume!