The truth of the matter is that L-glutamine is almost as much of a staple in the fitness world as protein itself.
This conditionally essential amino acid plays an instrumental role in helping your body grow new muscle.
Although it is the most abundant amino acid in the body, when you don’t have enough L-glutamine, your body will turn to muscle protein for energy and repair.
Therefore, supplementing with it ensures that you have enough of this essential nutrient to keep your metabolism functioning at peak performance levels.
Oral L-glutamine supplementation is also useful for those who exercise on a regular basis.
It can help you retain more muscle mass by preventing muscle breakdown from moderate levels of resistance training or intense bouts of cardio.
And because not everyone gets enough of it, we will discuss here how much L-glutamine is ideal for fitness fanatics who are trying to lose body fat and gain more muscle mass. Keep reading to know more!
How much L-Glutamine is Recommended?
Because it plays such an important role in sports nutrition, it’s essential to get adequate amounts of L-glutamine in your diet.
In general, you’re supposed to get about 2 grams of it daily from food. However, research shows that most people only consume about half of that.
The reason for this is that glutamine is slow to be absorbed by the human body, and it’s mostly found in protein-rich foods.
As such, when we don’t get enough of this amino acid from our diet, our body will turn to muscle protein to fuel workouts.
This means that you’re depleting your lean skeletal muscle tissue and bloating your belly. When you’re trying to lose weight, this is even more of a danger since you’re not building muscle and getting stronger.
In addition, the amount of L-glutamine you need daily varies depending on your age, gender, and diet.
A typical adult male should take between 5 grams and 7 grams per day. However, if you have any medical conditions, consult your doctor before taking additional L-glutamine.
The recommended daily L-glutamine dosage for healthy women is 4 to 6 grams. Kindly note that if you are pregnant or nursing, you should consult your doctor before taking supplemental L-glutamine.
How much L-Glutamine do we get through diet?
There are two primary ways in which we obtain L-glutamine. We can either produce it ourselves when we consume certain foods or take it in supplement form by using L-glutamine powder and pills.
However, not everyone produces enough L-glutamine naturally to meet their daily requirements. Therefore, supplementation is often recommended to experience the potential l-glutamine benefits.
Glutamine-rich Foods
chicken
As chicken is a rich source of L-glutamine, you can consume 3-4 ounces of chicken per day (equivalent to 500 mg-1 g of L-glutamine per day) to support your immune function.
The rich protein source in the chicken helps in building muscle and aids in the recovery of damaged tissues by enhancing muscle protein synthesis.
Fish
Fish is a great source of L-glutamine and many other amino acids. The amino acid is found in abundance in marine animals and is important for intestinal health.
You can consume the daily recommended amount of fish (about 2 oz) to get the required amount of L-glutamine.
Some of the popular sources of fish include salmon, tuna, mackerel, halibut, and crabs. The best part about fish is that it is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain, heart, and joint health.
Cabbage
Cabbage is a rich source of antioxidants that help the body in a number of ways. One such way is by increasing the supply of glutamine in the body.
You can consume 1-2 cups of cabbage every day to increase the supply of L-glutamine in your body.
Spinach
Known as the superfood, spinach is a nutritional powerhouse. It is rich in minerals, vitamins, protein, and amino acids.
One of the most important amino acids present in spinach is glutamine. You can consume 1 cup of spinach every day to increase the supply of glutamine stores in your body.
dairy
Dairy products are great sources of protein and are thereby responsible for the boost in the production of glutamine in the body.
The best part about dairy is that it is a rich source of calcium, which aids in muscle contraction and relaxation.
You can consume 1 cup of low-fat milk or low-fat yogurt daily to support your immune system and boost your glutamine levels.
Tofu
Tofu is a soy-based product that is rich in proteins. Similar to dairy products, tofu is also a rich source of calcium.
However, the most important amino acid present in tofu is glutamine. You can consume 1 cup of tofu daily to support immune function and boost the level of glutamine in the body.
lentils
Lentils are rich in iron, which is essential to sustain a healthy blood flow. The amino acid glutamine present in the lentils helps in maintaining the healthy level of intestinal bacteria and protects the intestinal lining by powering its cell.
This, in turn, prevents leaky gut syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease. Additionally, l-glutamine plays a significant role in restoring gut permeability in patients with Chron’s disease.
You can consume 1 cup of lentils daily to support your immune system and increase the level of L-glutamine in the body.
beans
Legumes are rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals. You will find that a lot of glutamine is present in beans.
You can consume 1 cup of beans like pinto, kidney, or adzuki daily to get the required amount of glutamine in the body.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals. You can consume 1 cup of mushrooms like shiitake, enoki, maitake, or white button daily to get the required amount of L-glutamine in the body.
spirulina
Spirulina is a blue-green alga that is rich in proteins and minerals. You can consume 1-2 tablespoons of spirulina tablets daily to support healthy immune function and increase the level of L-glutamine in the body.
fruit
Fruit is a natural food and is rich in vitamins and minerals, including glutamine. You can consume 1 cup of blueberries, strawberries, or apples daily to get the required amount of glutamine in the body.
yeast
Yeast is a natural source of amino acids and is used in the production of bread and other baked products.
You can consume 1-2 tablespoons of yeast daily to support your immune system and increase the level of L-glutamine in the body.
fermented Food
Fermented vegetables like sauerkraut, kimchi, and yogurt are rich sources of L-glutamine.
The best part about these foods is that they are also rich in probiotics, which aid in the digestion process and prevent the occurrence of diarrhea.
How much L-Glutamine do we get from supplements?
While the amino acid L-glutamine is naturally present in animals and plants, it can be produced artificially in the lab.
Also, there are supplements available in the market that you can consume to increase your L-Glutamine intake.
These include: –
- The amino acid can be easily consumed alone if it is provided in powder form. The amino acid can also be mixed with other ingredients, such as milk or water.
- A capsule or tablet of L-Glutamine should be consumed with water one hour before or 2 hours after a workout.
- You should also try to consume a small amount of protein every day as it helps your body in muscle growth and development.
- The amino acid can also be taken with milk or water as a shake. While the amino acid can be consumed directly, mixing it with milk or water prevents the taste from becoming too overpowering.
Glutamine Supplementation and Aging
According to a scientific review that is based on intracellular metabolism, the amount of L-glutamine your body absorbs in your diet will vary depending on your age and sex.
As we age, our ability to absorb it from the foods we eat decreases. Therefore, the amount of L-glutamine in our blood is also reduced.
Because of this, the researchers recommend 6 grams of it as a daily requirement for older people and even less for men.
Additionally, a large amount of it is also lost while processing food in our digestive tract. The result? A lower amount is available in our bloodstream.
Is 3 to 10 grams of L-Glutamine Enough?
In order to boost your recovery from both heavy resistance training and intense cardio, we recommend consuming 6 to 8 grams of L-glutamine post-workout.
This is the amount that has been found to improve muscle synthesis after training by boosting the influx of amino acids into the muscle cell. This helps to reduce and, in some cases, prevent muscle soreness.
There’s also a lot of research showing that 5 grams of L-glutamine is enough to promote weight loss.
However, this is when you consume it through protein-rich foods.
How much L-Glutamine is Safe?
Like we said above, if you aren’t eating enough protein-rich foods, you’re likely not getting enough of this nutrient.
And consuming too much of it can cause some unwanted side effects, like bloating, nausea, and cramps. The good news is that you can still get enough of it from food (especially if you’re recovering from intense workouts).
There’s also medical research that suggests the safe upper limit for L-glutamine is about 1,000 milligrams daily.
In order to avoid this, we recommend consuming 5 to 6 grams of L-Glutamine daily, preferably from food, but you can also use dietary supplements.
How much L-Glutamine do Experts Recommend?
According to a comprehensive analysis published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, the optimal amount of L-glutamine to consume during a weight loss program is 5 grams daily.
This is the amount that has been shown to suppress your appetite and boost exercise performance.
How much glutamine should you take to lose body fat?
Again, we recommend consuming 5 grams of L-Glutamine daily, primarily from food.
This is the amount that has been found to suppress your appetite, boost your metabolism and improve your recovery rate.
How much L-glutamine should you take to gain muscle?
There isn’t enough research done on the topic to provide an exact answer to this question.
That being said, the consensus seems to be that you need to consume 10 to 20 grams of L-Glutamine daily to gain muscle.
It’s important to note that you shouldn’t take L-glutamine for muscle gain if you’re trying to lose body fat.
When Should I Take L-Glutamine Supplement?
Glutamine is a very important amino acid that helps the body increase muscle growth and recover quickly, and what’s more, it’s been found that taking glutamine after intense activity, such as endurance exercise, can decrease inflammation and improve joint mobility.
The best time to consume your glutamine supplement is right after your resistance training session.
This is because it takes time for your muscles to repair themselves.
You should also take your supplement in the same time frame before your cardio session.
The fitness and health benefits of taking glutamine are greater during the post-workout period.
Notwithstanding, you can also take glutamine before a workout session to enhance athletic performance.
With consistent use, you will experience the muscle-building effects glutamine offers.
Can Too Much Glutamine be Bad for Me?
Consuming excess amounts of this amino acid can cause stomach cramps, bloating, and nausea. Side effects may occur if L-glutamine intake is too high.
Other symptoms of overdose include vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, weakness, and confusion. If these symptoms persist or worsen, seek medical attention immediately.
However, medical research suggests that consuming 5 grams of L-Glutamine daily will have no negative effect on your health.
What’s more, it’s been found to have anti-aging effects by reducing oxidative stress and increasing cell metabolism.
Do I Need to Take L-glutamine Every day?
It is generally recommended that you take L-glutamine supplements every day. You should start at a lower dose and gradually increase over time until you reach your desired dosage.
Finding the Best L-Glutamine Supplements
There are several different types of L-glutamine products out there, including liquid forms, powders, capsules, and tablets.
While some of these may have similar ingredients, they can vary greatly in price and effectiveness.
To find the best L-glutamine supplement, you need to know what type of product works best for you.
Here are some things to consider when looking for the right L-glutamine product:
What Type of Supplement?
The first thing to look at is whether you want to use a liquid supplement or a pill.
A liquid supplement contains water, while pills do not. Pills are generally easier to swallow than liquids, and they are also easier to measure.
You should also consider how long you plan to take the supplement before bedtime.
If you are taking it earlier in the day, you may prefer a liquid over a pill.
How Much Do You Need?
Next, you need to decide how much L-glutamine you need.
Most people who take L-glutamine to boost their immune systems start off small and increase the dosage slowly.
If you are trying to build muscle mass, you may want to start with a lower dose and work your way up.
A good way to find the best L-Glutamine supplement is by reading user reviews.
This can help you find a supplement that provides the best results at a reasonable price.
You can also compare the ingredients in different glutamine supplements to see which one has the highest amount of this essential nutrient.
Final Thoughts
L-Glutamine is an essential amino acid that is created naturally in the body and plays an important part in the recovery of damaged tissues and muscles.
It is also essential for the immune system, gut health, and muscle growth.
However, not everyone can produce enough L-glutamine naturally to meet their daily requirements. Therefore, supplementation is often recommended.
The richest sources of L-Glutamine are chicken, fish, cabbage, spinach, dairy products, tofu, lentils, beans, and mushrooms.
You can consume these foods to get the required amount of L-glutamine, and you can also use glutamine supplements.
There’s no doubt that L-Glutamine is one of the most important nutrients for athletes and fitness fanatics.
It plays an instrumental role in helping your body recover from intense workouts, boost your metabolism and maintain lean muscle by preventing muscle breakdown.
The amount you need to supplement will depend primarily on your activity level and gender because not everyone gets enough of it.