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Glutamine Advantages for the Athlete

Glutamine has been touted as the best of the best of the amino acids. It is the most abundant amino in the body and has great bodybuilding potential. It is a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning the human body produces it naturally, but under special circumstances, more is required than the body can produce. One such special circumstance would be intense physical training. Marathon runners and bodybuilders train at extremely intense levels. Glutamine has been shown to help runners recover after the marathon. A 26+ mile run is tough, but so are many serious lifters' programs. Glutamine may be the key to shorter recovery times after hard weight room workouts. Glutamine is a required fuel for some immune system cells, and may even stimulate overall immune function. Muscles will not grow when the nutrients they require are being used to battle an illness; Glutamine may keep you from getting sick, keeping your muscles flooded with nutrients. Studies indicate lowered levels of Glutamine could result in a slower response to infection, which means more time off from training. It may boost the immune system, keeping you in the gym and pumping hard all year long. That benefit alone makes Glutamine a worthwhile supplement for most serious lifters. Glutamine also has the potential to neutralize the lactic acid generated during physical exercise. Lactic acid is responsible for the burn experienced while working out. When too much is produced, contraction becomes more difficult, and eventually becomes impossible. Glutamine may increase the muscles' buffering capacity, keeping lactic acid levels low and allowing a workout to continue longer than it would without the supplement. With all of its positive contributions, Glutamine has earned the title, best of the best.

Aaron Marcusson, CSCS works in the Human Performance Lab at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He is also a personal trainer, author, and is pursuing his MS in exercise science.