How much glutamine should I take?

[rambusanna]

I weigh 180 lbs. 18% body fat. I workout 4 times a week. I take 2 scoops of Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey protein, which has 4g of glutamine in each scoop. I recently bought some glutamine and want to know how many more grams of glutamine I should take in addition to the 8g I get from the protein shakes. Thanks!

 

[Built]

None. It's an utter waste of cash.

 

[rambusanna]

None. It's an utter waste of cash.

Apparently it's the miracle of the 21st century. How can it be waste?

 

[mike2]

I weigh 180 lbs. 18% body fat. I workout 4 times a week. I take 2 scoops of Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey protein, which has 4g of glutamine in each scoop. I recently bought some glutamine and want to know how many more grams of glutamine I should take in addition to the 8g I get from the protein shakes. Thanks!

That was a good question.I take ON's 100% Whey Protien and I was wondering the same thing.

 

[Ben dur]

it is a non essential amino acid, which is also highly abundant in a variety of foods, including fish, poultry, beef, dairy, eggs, and the list goes on

in actuality, if your consume the recommended 180g of protein, your probably already consuming around 20g of this NON ESSENTIAL amino acid

your already getting more than enough

sense you already own this though
i would put a teaspoon in both my pre and post workout shake
wont hurt anything, may help some minute amount
each scoop should be between 4-5g so that would be 8-10g a day

that would be more than enough, but good luck noticing any difference

like built said, it really is unnecessary

 

[pacman]

Ya if your already getting it in a protein powder you may not need it. since you have it, I would go with a serving at night before sleep.

 

[KenEm]

There are different schools of thought on glutamine. One side says that glutamine doesn't survive the digestive tract, so supplementing with it is a total waste of money.

The other side (Charles Poliquin being a big advocate) says that supplemental glutamine is hugely helpful to muscle growth and recovery, immune system enhancement, and can be used in large quantities (Charles recommends 45 grams!) in a post-workout shake in place of fast-acting carbs, if you're low-carbing, in order to cause the same insulin spike that you want post-workout (along with your whey, BCAA's, etc.) that carbs would otherwise provide.

Who's right? No idea.

 

[Jag]

I've been use a few grams of Glutamine and few grams of Milk Thistle for a few months now and it's really helped with some stomach / bloating issues i was having so it has served it's purpose there.

 

[PushAndPull]

I bought a 1000g of glutamine before. Used 20g a day until it was gone. Never felt or noticed any effects at all. So maybe it didn't work or maybe i wasn't taking enough.

 

[Built]

There are different schools of thought on glutamine. One side says that glutamine doesn't survive the digestive tract, so supplementing with it is a total waste of money.

The other side (Charles Poliquin being a big advocate) says that supplemental glutamine is hugely helpful to muscle growth and recovery, immune system enhancement, and can be used in large quantities (Charles recommends 45 grams!) in a post-workout shake in place of fast-acting carbs, if you're low-carbing, in order to cause the same insulin spike that you want post-workout (along with your whey, BCAA's, etc.) that carbs would otherwise provide.

Who's right? No idea.

PubMed home has a wealth of information.

This recent study (2008) showed no particular effect that would appear to benefit strength athletes, but it may be beneficial under certain circumstances for ultra-endurance athletes:

"... In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, ultra-marathon and marathon runners participating in races were given either a placebo or a glutamine beverage (5 g glutamine in 330 mL water), which was ingested immediately after and 2 h after the race... (MariAnne's note - this was examined in the context of upper respiratory tract infections after a marathon or an ultramarathon)

<snip>... doses in excess of 5 g need to be ingested at frequent intervals (e.g. every 30???60 min) to sustain a moderate elevation of the plasma glutamine concentration over several hours."​

Dosing and Efficacy of Glutamine Supplementation in Human Exercise and Sport Training -- Gleeson 138 (10): 2045S -- Journal of Nutrition

Berardi has a thing or two to say about glutamine as well. This from 2002:
Should I Spend my Hard-Earned Money on Glutamine or Hookers?