EndurElite Chief Endurance Officer Matt Mosman discusses why everything you have heard about glutamine as a muscle recovery agent is wrong.
Everything You Have Heard About Glutamine Is Wrong. Here's Why:
- Evidence to support glutamine's use as a muscle recovery agent is scant.
- Unless you’re glutamine deficient...which you’re probably not, it’s not going to mend your muscles or make you less sore
- One, it can promote glycogen resynthesis.
- Two, it can help with Krebs cycle function.
- Three, glutamine supplementation can help absorption of other ingredients whether that be supplements or carbohydrates.
Take home point? Save your money on stand-alone glutamine supplements if you’re hoping they help with recovery.
Full Video Transcription:
Glutamine is super awesome for muscle recovery bruh! What a bunch of poppycock, but not completely useless, and this is gonna be the topic of our 60 second brain bomb for today.
Now this is what you've probably all heard about glutamine, "Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body where it can help with muscle repair and recovery." Now, while it's true that it is the most abundant amino acid in the body, unless you're deficient in glutamine, which you're probably not, it's not gonna do jack squat for your recovery. Not at all. Very weak evidence, very weak studies supporting its use as a recovery agent.
But, not all is lost with glutamine. It can help with glycogen resynthesis, it can help with Krebs cycle function, it can help with the absorption of other nutrients, all these things, which can be really important for endurance athletes. Now if you really wanna promote recovery after exercise, don't spend money on glutamine. Spend more money on carbohydrates and protein, and slam the sh* out of them after exercise to restore glycogen and mend those muscles.
