Glutamine for Sports & Fitness

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Glutamine for Sports & Fitness

Why Use

Glutamine
Glutamine

Why Do Athletes Use It?*

Some athletes say that glutamine helps boost the immune system.

What Do the Advocates Say?*

Glutamine is the most utilized amino acid in the body. Based on its biochemistry, glutamine is a good supplement for athletes. Glutamine is best taken consistently, on a daily basis, rather than just before or after a hard workout, to build up tissue levels.

Although glutamine is inexpensive and non-toxic, realize that you run the risk of upsetting the balance of the body’s amino acids (as is the case with supplementing with only one of any of the amino acids.

*Athletes and fitness advocates may claim benefits for this supplement based on their personal or professional experience. These are individual opinions and testimonials that may or may not be supported by controlled clinical studies or published scientific articles.

Dosage & Side Effects

Glutamine

How Much Is Usually Taken by Athletes?

The amino acid glutamine appears to play a role in several aspects of human physiology that might benefit athletes, including their muscle function and immune system.1 Intense exercise lowers blood levels of glutamine, which can remain persistently low with overtraining.2 Glutamine supplementation raises levels of growth hormone at an intake of 2 grams per day,3 an effect of interest to some athletes because of the role of growth hormone in stimulating muscle growth,4 and glutamine, given intravenously, was found to be more effective than other amino acids at helping replenish muscle glycogen after exercise.5 However, glutamine supplementation (30 mg per 2.2 pounds body weight) has not improved performance of short-term, high-intensity exercise such as weightlifting or sprint cycling by trained athletes,6 , 7 and no studies on endurance performance or muscle growth have been conducted. Although the effects of glutamine supplementation on immune function after exercise have been inconsistent,8 , 9 double-blind trials giving athletes glutamine (5 grams after intense, prolonged exercise, then again two hours later) reported 81% having no subsequent infection compared with 49% in the placebo group.10

Side Effects

At the time of writing, there were no well-known side effects caused by this supplement.

Interactions with Supplements, Foods, & Other Compounds

At the time of writing, there were no well-known interactions with this supplement.

Interactions with Medicines

Certain medicines interact with this supplement.

May Be Beneficial: Some medicines may increase the need for this supplement.
Avoid: Some medicines interact with this supplement, so they should not be taken together.
Check: Some interactions between this supplement and certain medicines require more explanation. Click the link to see details.

Note: The following list only includes the generic or class name of a medicine. To find a specific brand name, use the Medicines Index.

May Be Beneficial: Bicalutamide
May Be Beneficial: Busulfan
May Be Beneficial: Capecitabine
May Be Beneficial: Carboplatin
May Be Beneficial: Carmustine
May Be Beneficial: Chlorambucil
May Be Beneficial: Cisplatin
May Be Beneficial: Cladribine
May Be Beneficial: Cyclophosphamide
May Be Beneficial: Cytarabine
May Be Beneficial: Docetaxel
May Be Beneficial: Erlotinib
May Be Beneficial: Etoposide
May Be Beneficial: Floxuridine
May Be Beneficial: Fludarabine
May Be Beneficial: Fluorouracil
May Be Beneficial: Hydroxyurea
May Be Beneficial: Ifosfamide
May Be Beneficial: Irinotecan
May Be Beneficial: Lomustine
May Be Beneficial: Mechlorethamine
May Be Beneficial: Melphalan
May Be Beneficial: Mercaptopurine
May Be Beneficial: Paclitaxel
May Be Beneficial: Polifeprosan 20 with Carmustine
May Be Beneficial: Streptozocin
May Be Beneficial: Thioguanine
May Be Beneficial: Uracil Mustard
May Be Beneficial: Vinblastine
May Be Beneficial: Vincristine
Check: Methotrexate

More Resources

Glutamine

Where to Find It

Glutamine is found in many foods high in protein, such as fish, meat, beans, and dairy products.

Resources

See a list of books, periodicals, and other resources for this and related topics.

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