L-Glutamine: Helps in Burning Fat and Building Lean Muscle Mass

L-Glutamine

(Our intestinal cells and immune system cells preferred L-Glutamine as a source of fuel rather than glucose)

L-Glutamine also known as Glutamine is a conditionally essential amino acid (a building block for proteins) and one of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids in dietary protein. It is considered as conditionally essential, because our body uses it in large amounts and the most common amino acid found in the muscular tissue i.e. Upto 60%. It contains Nitrogen, hence responsible for supplying nitrogen into our muscles. L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in our bloodstream also and it makes up 30 to 35 percent of the amino acid nitrogen in our blood. L-glutamine first used by people in the fitness industry in powder form to preserve their muscle tissues. But, Now science is showing that, benefits of L-glutamine are abundant.

How it works?

Most glutamine is produced in our Skeletal muscles followed by the lungs. After glutamine is synthesised in skeletal muscle it is released into the bloodstream and transported to the kidney, liver and small intestine and cells of the immune system where it plays other vital roles. Glutamine is used by WBC (white blood cells) in order to provide normal immune-system function.

How one can be benefited by consuming L-Glutamine?

Benefits of L-Glutamine

• It is a vital nutrient for our intestines in the role of rebuilding and repairing. So, it helps in improving our gastrointestinal health. 
• It also helps people not only in healing ulcers but also in leaky gut, because it acts as major fuel source for cells of the small intestine, hence protects from further damage.
• It helps in improving irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhoea condition in patients by balancing mucus production. This leads to healthy bowel movements.
• It can also help people in recovering from food sensitivities.
• It helps in curbing cravings for sugar and alcohol, thus it improves diabetes and blood sugar.
• It helps in cellular detoxification by cleansing the body from high levels of ammonia as it acts as a buffer and converts excess ammonia into other amino acids, amino sugars and urea.
• It helps in human growth hormone secretion (HGH) that aids with fat metabolism and supports new muscle growth.
• It helps in burning fat and building lean muscle mass by suppressing insulin levels and stabilize blood glucose.
• Glutamine is also used when people are in a catabolic state of injury or after surgeries.
• It improves inflammation of the mouth lining, sore throats and tingling fingers and toes in case of cancer patients. Patients receiving radiation therapy, bone marrow transplants and certain chemotherapies also benefitted.
• People suffering from AIDS should externally supplement with Glutamin because their body is incapable of producing Glutamine. It also helps in brain health.

From which food sources one can get L-Glutamine?

Glutamine Rich Foods

Our body uses glutamic acid or glutamate to synthesize L-Glutamine. But this is not the case always. Sometimes, our body is unable to produce enough and then our body needs to get it directly from our diet. L-glutamine found both in animal and plant proteins. Examples of animal proteins are Grass-fed Beef, meat, Wild Caught Fishes like Cod, Tuna and Salmon and dairy products. Plant protein sources such as Spirulina, Asparagus, Broccoli, beans, raw spinach, parsley and red cabbage also supplies L-Glutamine. One must have at least three servings of these L-glutamine rich foods daily in order to remain healthy. 

How much one can take to stay healthy?

We must take glutamine in right amount to support our metabolism and weight loss as well as for muscle building, recovery and preservation. In ideal condition, the best dosage is between 2 to 5 grams twice daily. If anyone made up his mind to take L-glutamine for long-term, it must be supplied with B vitamins, specially vitamin B12, as vitamin B12 controls glutamine buildup in our body. People suffering from HIV positive need 40 grams glutamine daily. 

Exceptions: 

L-glutamine may improve insulin sensitivity and enhance glucose metabolism in diabetics, but its use in this regard has not been extensively studied. Therefore, it isn’t known if L-glutamine supplementation is good for all diabetics, and the optimal doses of L-glutamine needed to favorably affect glucose metabolism are undetermined. So, Diabetics should stay away from Glutamine. Women during Pregnancy and breast-feeding must stay on the safe side and avoid use. People with severe liver disease can not take glutamine. People, who are sensitive to MSG, might also be sensitive to glutamine, because human body converts glutamine to glutamate.

Deficiency and side effects

One’s body can make enough glutamine for its regular needs despite the person is healthy enough to synthesize glutamine. Because of our own synthesizing, glutamine deficiency is not very common. Deficient ones will not have perform greatly in the athletic activities. Potential side effects of glutamine are still unknown. So, Glutamine supplements are considered safe for most of the people when taken orally. Children aged 3 to 18 years should not be given doses that are larger than 0.7 grams per kg of their weight daily. 

Types of L-Glutamine

Two forms of L-glutamine available in the market as supplements. Both forms of glutamine powder available are best taken just after or before workouts with small meals. 

• L-glutamine - It is the free form of Glutamine. Ideally, one should take it with food for better absorption by his/her body. 
• Alanyl-L-Glutamine - Also known as Trans-Alanyl, this amino acid always attached to another amino acids. It can be taken on empty stomach unlike L-Glutamine.

Role of L-Glutamine in the life of Body builders

Consumption of L-Glutamine is very important on a regular basis if anyone is doing intense exercise. But if we take normal exercise what will happen? See! when an athlete person exercise for approximately one hour, he/she will loose a 40 percent reduction of glutamine in his/her body. Due to this his/her immune function can also be suppressed. After intense training, it could take up to 6 days for Glutamine levels to return to normal. It brings a negative impact on his/her resistance training. It may also lead to over training syndrome. L-glutamine is going to help them in these ways.

• L-glutamine benefits long distance athletes by boosting their immune system i.e. T-helper cells.
• It helps in reducing the ‘stresses’ associated with over training syndrome.
• It not only promotes muscle growth but also decreases muscle waste during workouts.
• It helps in improving performance in athletes and providing recovery from endurance exercise.
• It improves muscle hydration, aids the muscle recovery process and reduces recovery time for wounds and burns. 

Role of Supplements and its Dosage

Majority of world’s population don’t get sufficient L-glutamine from the food. Because of this, supplementing one’s diet with L-glutamine becomes an option. As around 60% of our skeletal muscle is made up of glutamine, supplementation of this amino acid ensures better results in protein synthesis and naturally balance the pH levels. It is sold as an isolated amino acids in the market. It is found in very high levels in both Whey Protein and Casein Protein. Serious power athletes can take L-glutamine supplement up to 10 grams daily. 

What studies revealed?

• A study published in the medical journal Lancet revealed that supplementing with L-glutamine decreased intestinal permeability in patients.
• An animal study published in the British Journal of Surgery found that L-glutamine benefits ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
• Another animal study have indicated that increase in T-helper cells due to consumption of L-Glutamine may reduce the ‘stresses’ associated with over training syndrome.
• A medical study published in 2001 showed that L-glutamine benefits human body by regulating IgA immune response. IgA is an antibody that attacks viruses and bad bacteria and also associated with food sensitivities and allergies.
• According to a study published in the journal of Clinical Immunology revealed that L-glutamine normalizes the effects of the TH2 immune response that stimulates inflammatory cytokines. 
• A Recent study have shown that taking just 2 grams of L-Glutamine can increase growth hormone levels in human beings by 400%.