SUPPLEMENT Q & A - Glutamine

Q: When is the best time to take Glutamine? It's frustrating, because in the sports supplement industry, there are never any directions for taking anything. I guess because you're not allowed to tell people how to take it, but it's hard for someone to know. What gives and how do I know how much to take? And is peptide vs free form better?

A: Glutamine is great for post workout recovery, as you probably know. It's very valuable, in our opinion, despite what some say. We prefer to take it away from other amino acids and make it a stand alone recovery tool. I'd take 5 grams of L-Glutamine, 30 minites after your post-workout shake (again, to stay away from other aminos), and then 30 minutes later, you would have a full meal. Take it between meals and take around 5-20g a day total, during a heavy training cycle or a pre-contest cycle. We would normally take it before bed to stop muscle degredation during the night. We just feel that Glutamine supplementation has an integral role in building a great muscular physique.

Don't neglect it because something else comes into fashion. Always, always always use it. Remember, muscle Glutamine levels govern protein synthesis rates and helps maintain a positive nitrogen balance. It's the most potent at increasing muscle cell volume. Keep in mind that WHEN you dose is actually truly important with Glutamine and it's great you asked us exactly how, because studies have shown that Glutamine, when combined with steady insulin levels, doubles the muscle building response. There are 3 types of Glutamine: protein bound, free form and Glutamine peptides. Both peptide bound and free form Glutamine supplementation increased plasma Glutamine levels to a similar extent. A recent study showed that 6-10 grams of Glutamine after training will enhance muscle glycogen synthesis and recovery, resulting in higher glycogen levels within the muscle. Glycogen, remember, is the primary fuel of intense exercise and accumulation of glycogen in the muscle after training is the first step in the anabolic process and sets the stage for gains in lean mass.