Glutamine as a sports supplement

With growing research to conclude glutamine's benefits to muscles, it's no surprise that it has become such a popular nutritional supplement in the athletic and bodybuilding world. Through intense training, workouts and sports our body's glutamine levels are depleted, which is a contributing factor to decreased stamina and strength. It can take up to 6 days for glutamine levels to rebalance and return to normal, which can make it difficult to continue regular exercise. We need balanced glutamine levels because it is essential for protein synthesis. Boosting our glutamine levels with a glutamine supplement can therefore minimise the breakdown of muscle while improving protein metabolism.

It has become such a popular sports supplement due to its key role in the metabolism of protein, cell volume and anti-catabolism. Glutamine also enhances your ability to secrete Human Growth Hormone, which helps to metabolise body fat, support new muscle growth and prevent the breakdown of muscles. This is especially useful to those looking to cut down body fat without losing muscle.

Glutamine is also needed throughout the body for optimal performance. It is your small intestines and immune system that require the highest levels of glutamine, due to the fact that as levels deplete through intense workouts, it causes athletes to become more vulnerable to illness.

Thanks to its ability for preventing muscle loss or breakdown, it is considered particularly useful for anyone who undergoes training for endurance sports like long distance running or cycling, as it can reduce the incidence of cramps that could be caused by repetitive strain. Intense training and workouts cause glutamine levels to decrease, which leaves muscles susceptible to damage and breakdown, however glutamine supplements boost glutamine levels in order to prevent damage and enable muscle to grow and strengthen.