I know this question gets asked alot, but once again I’m getting a little confused about supplementing with glutamine. I always wonder about what kind of results people see from taking it. Some people take 5 grams before their workouts and 5 grams after. Some people take a huge dose (around 25-30 grams) BEFORE their workout (like Eric Serrano suggests). Some people recommend even large doses post-workout(like Charles Poliquin and Don Alessi). I know creatine has been researched to death, and most everyone can agree on the proper way to take it, how much, etc. But glutamine on the other hand… jesus, who the hell can I turn to and get some good solid answers?
Why don’t you experiment and find out what works best for you instead of relying on someone else’s opinion?
I think that i can answer for CJM on this one. “Experimenting” with glutamine would be rather expensive, especially if you’re going to use peptides. There’s nothing wrong with him asking what our opinions are first so he doesn’t have to throw some money and time away.
I would also like to know everyone’s thoughts are on this. I personally have never supp’ed with glutamine before, but would like to start soon.
glutamine peptides are really cheaper if you consider the fact that glutamatic (sp?) acid coverts 50% into ammonia and other junk… (just from what i’ve read, don’t flame me on this one)… most forms of “glutamine” are gutamatic acid.
That’s basically what I’m asking for: some opinions and a little feedback so I can maybe determine the right way to use glutamine. I was just wondering what dosages reaped results for people. Oh well…
I use 5 grams before and after the workout. This works well for me. I seem to get great pumps from glutamine, and recovery is faster.Good luck, don’t be afraid to experiment and find what level works for you
CMJ, I am a BIG fan of L-Glutamine. I respond VERY well to it. The last two times I supplemented with it, I would take 5g’s before workout, 5g’s post-workout, and 5g’s right before bed. Anything less than 15g’s didn’t seem to be effective for me. 20g’s didn’t seem to be any MORE effective for me. You should def. experiment for yourself, but I would start w/10g’s daily and work from there.
When you said you were a big fan of L-Glutamine, did you mean that you prefer it over the peptides? If so, why?
If nothing else jusing just a small amount (3-5 grams per day) is great for the health of your gut and for your immune system. As far as anabolic effects it really depends on you and your diet, training load, individual response etc. I notice good results when taking as little as 10 grams during or postworkout.
The way I used L-Glutamine (when I still could fit it into my supplement bill) is 5 grams in the morning, 5 grams before and after a workout, and 5 or 10 grams before bed (depending on how much sleep I anticipate on getting - the more I sleep the more I use). It may sound odd, but it did help me retain a good amount of muscle and I never got sick during that time as well. Hopefully this’ll help you some.
Not to be a dick here, but have you tried a search? There have been some long threads on precisely this topic.
Not nessecarily the cheapest way, but I have found excellent resluts using some of Serrano’s suggestions. On workout days- 5g first thing in am, 30g 45min preworkout on empty stomach, then surge during and after (for 3g more), 5g before bed. Non workout days-5g between each meal. I usually do this after a mag-10 (or other) cycle to keep gains, and haven’t missed a beat when coming clean.
I was pleasantly surprised by my results with glutamine - I get fuller and grow a lot faster when I’m on it. It works better for me than creatine. I take 3g with each meal (18g per day) and 10g with a post- workout shake.
It’s important to understand that Poliquin and Serrano incorporate their glutamine recommendations into an overall diet plan that is pretty low in carbohydrates (see the recent thread on David Boston’s diet for more info). When asked why glutamine is required in higher amounts when on a low carbohydrate diet, Serrano responded, “Glycogen levels are low and glutamine when consumed under those conditions behaves like a sugar in the muscle. It’s a way to transport carbon chains of sugar into the muscle to be changed into glucose.” In short, you need to base your glutamine intake on your carbohydrate intake. If you eat a lower carb diet, then more glutamine will probably yield some appreciable improvements. Otherwise, 5g before and 5g during/after will do the trick. I also prefer to add 3g at breakfast and 3g at night. Currently, I’m experimenting with Serrano’s recommendations for .35g glutamine and .35g BCAAs split between before and after training.