When it comes to exercising, your body’s blood glutamine levels get drastically depleted, which is crucial for muscle recovery.
To ensure that you recover at an optimal rate it is recommended to supplement with l-glutamine powder or capsules to maintain optimal levels in the body.
In the article below we have included some of the best l-glutamine supplements to help you make a more informed decision when you are considering to start supplementing with an l-glutamine supplement.
What is L-glutamine?
L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, which is referred to as a conditionally essential amino acid which means that the human body manufactures l-glutamine, however with that being said depending on the intensity and frequency of your workouts, your body could require additional amounts of l-glutamine to ensure that your body has a sufficient amount in the body to be utilized by organs and muscle cells.
Glutamine comes in two different forms, which are D-glutamine and L-glutamine. Although these two forms almost have a similar molecular structure the d-glutamine is not effective and does not serve the same purpose in the body as l-glutamine does. You can also increase glutamine intake by adding or increasing the intake of foods high in protein to your diets, such as beef, eggs, protein powder and tofu.
Source: MyProtein
Benefits of L-glutamine
Glutamine plays a key role in many bodily functions such as protecting(lining) and supporting intestines, promoting healthy gut functions, boosting the immune system, optimizing protein synthesis, detoxifying the body from toxins, reducing fatigue, improving recovery rate, increasing exercise performance, replenishing muscle glycogen, promoting nitrogen retention and preventing muscle breakdown and fatigue.
Side Effects
Although supplementing with glutamine provides many benefits some people might not reap the benefits and could instead experience side effects.
Some of the common side effects of supplementing with glutamine or consuming too much include:
- Skin Rash
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Muscle and/or joint pain
- Fatigue
- Swelling
- Dehydration
- Excessive sweating
Our Top 3 Choices
#1: L-Glutamine by Bulk Supplements
Bulk Supplements L-Glutamine
BulkSupplements offers L-Glutamine in pack sizes ranging from 100 grams to 5 kilograms of unflavored powder. A serving size is 1 scoop (5g).
BulkSupplements are a fairly new brand on the market, however, with that being said they have grown drastically over the years by providing pure individual ingredients which are tested by a third party company.
BulkSupplements have acquired a fair amount of market share in the sports nutrition(Fitness) industry as they saw a great opportunity in the market to provide pure individual ingredients which enables customers to mix and flavor supplements themselves as many of the sport nutrition products are flavored with artificial flavoring and colorants.
BulkSupplements provide supplements that are cost-effective and high-quality that are guaranteed. BulkSupplements NSF Certified and registered by the FDA ensure they bring the best quality products to the market.
When To Take:
Take 1 – 2 servings (serving is 5g) post workout with your preferred supplement or with your protein shake/ smoothie. 1- 4 servings can be taken daily.
#2: KAGED MUSCLE Fermented L-Glutamine
Kage Muscle L-Glutamine
Kaged Muscle Fermented glutamine is a vegan option that has 100 servings of unflavored l-glutmamine powder per 500g tub. 1 scoop (5g) is a serving which can be added to your protein shake post workout.
Kaged was established in 2014 with its main focus being to provide customers with top quality products at affordable prices. Kaged Muscle glutamine is fermented from plant-based ingredients which means this is a vegan-friendly option that is free from toxins, heavy metals and impurities. Their products are also free from artificial flavors and colorants. Kaged Muscle also has a third party to tests their products as well as providing full disclosure of ingredients to show exactly what ingredients and how much of each ingredient has been added.
Many sports nutrition companies do not disclose the quantities of each ingredient. This can be identified on the nutritional facts label which shows a propriety blend of ingredients and the total dosage of the ingredients combined. Kaged Muscle has many positive reviews and good ratings on most of its products on Amazon.
When To Take:
Take 1 – 2 servings (serving is 5g) post-workout with your preferred supplement or with your protein shake/ smoothie. 1- 4 servings can be taken daily.
#3 – Nutricost L-Glutamine
Nutricost L-Glutamine
Nutricost L-Glutamine is a vegetarian option that is also free of gluten, GMO and soy. A 1 KG tub provides you with 200 servings (A serving is 1 scoop which is 5 grams.
Nutricost only uses the best ingredients to ensure maximum quality. All Nutricost supplements are manufactured in a GMP compliant facility. Natural color variation may occur in this product. All Nutricost products are manufactured to GMP compliant standards to ensure the best quality products are provided. Nutricost products are also tested by a third-party facility. Nutricost provides full label disclosure so you can see what ingredients have been included and the quantity of the ingredients added to the formulation.
Nutricost is on Amazon’s choice list and has a 4.5-star rating with many positive reviews.
When To Take:
Take 1 – 2 servings (serving is 5g) post-workout with your preferred supplement or with your protein shake/ smoothie. 1- 4 servings can be taken daily.
L-glutamine Capsules or Powder
When it comes to the decision of supplementing with glutamine powder or capsules there are a few things you want to take into consideration. Generally speaking, you get better value for money when opting for the powdered option as you get more servings and a higher dosage per serving however with that being said there are still many customers that opt for the capsulated option for convenience( Not having to mix it with a beverage of your choice). The recommended serving size is 1-2 capsules(500mg – 1000mg) whereas the powdered option is 5g (5000mg). So to put it in perspective you would have to take 5-10 servings of the capsule option to match 1 serving of the powdered option of glutamine. For those that have a sensitive stomach, a better option would be an N-acetyl l-glutamine supplement to avoid experiencing side effects.
In the table below we have included some of the most popular l-glutamine capsule supplements which are encapsulated in veggie capsules instead of bovine capsules to cater for everyone.
|
Rank: |
Product Description: |
Product: |
|---|---|---|
#1 |
  |
|
#2 |
  |
|
#3 |
  |
Recommended Dosage
Most of the supplement brands recommend between 5g – 20g daily. Since glutamine serves many functions in the body it has been said that your body can utilize 20g of glutamine daily. Servings can be split up throughout the day if you are considering using more than 5g a day. The most beneficial time to take glutamine would be post-workout and before you go to bed.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article gives you more insight on what to look for when you are looking for a high-quality l-glutamine supplement. Generally speaking, l-glutamine does not differ much besides from where it’s being sourced (plant-based or not) and if the companies products are tested by a third-party testing lab. Our top choice is the L-Glutamine from BulkSupplements as their glutamine is cost-effective and well-rated on Amazon, with that being said the other two options are also great choices for vegetarians.