Article Index > Authors > Edmund R. Burke, Ph

Glutamine has many benefits during hard training. Because glutamine can support the immune system as an important source of fuel and decrease infections, it may prevent or lessen the severity of infections after intense bouts of exercise, which can weaken immunity. This can enable you to recover quickly and train more often.

Because it is a precursor for glucose/glycogen formation and can improve insulin sensitivity, it may provide an additional precursor for glucose formation and offset the negative effects of excess fat.

Since the gastrointestinal tract is the primary site of glutamine utilization, supplemental glutamine may prevent the loss of glutamine from other organs, especially muscle, thus sparing muscle protein. Clearly, glutamine would be beneficial to strength athletes who require large amounts of muscle mass, as well as to athletes who can be at risk for overtraining.

Clinical studies have resulted in glutamine being classified as a conditionally essential amino acid in critically ill patients and it may also be conditionally essential for athletes.

Dosage Guidelines: Supplemental glutamine in the range of 10 grams per day will protect your body's physiological systems during hard training.

Reference: Antonio J, Street C. Glutamine: A potentially useful supplement for athletes. Canadian Journal of AppIied Physiology. 24: 1-14, 1999.

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