What is glutamine, and how does it benefit the body during exercise and recovery? - #14788

Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning your body can produce it, but during intense physical activity or stress, your body may need more than it can produce. What Glutamine Does During Exercise Muscle recovery: Glutamine is crucial for repairing muscle tissue after exercise by supporting protein synthesis, which helps the muscles recover and grow. Immune function: It helps maintain the immune system, which can be compromised during intense training or physical stress. Gut health: Glutamine also supports the gut lining, making it important for digestive health, especially under stress or after intense physical activity. Effectiveness and Safety Endurance & soreness: Some studies show that glutamine supplementation may help reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery time, though it doesn't directly increase endurance. Its main benefit is likely reducing muscle breakdown and speeding up recovery. Safe use: For most people, glutamine supplementation is safe. However, overuse may lead to digestive discomfort like bloating. The standard recommended dose is typically around 5–10 grams per day. Other Health Benefits Gut health: Glutamine is commonly used in managing gut health conditions, as it helps heal and maintain the gut lining. Immune function: It's also beneficial for supporting the immune system, especially during periods of high stress. Personal Experiences Many athletes report improved recovery, reduced muscle soreness, and faster healing with glutamine supplementation. It's often considered helpful for athletes doing intense training or those who experience frequent muscle soreness. However, the results can vary by individual. Some might notice minimal impact, while others experience significant recovery improvements.