What is Glutamine?
Glutamine is considered a “conditionally essential amino acid”. It makes up roughly 61% of the amino acid pool in skeletal muscle.

What does Glutamine do?
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- It is an acid/base balancer
- It is a nitrogen carrier
- It is a precursor to macromolecules (proteins & nucleic acids)
- Interestingly glutamine is the most used fuel for rapidly dividing cells, such as intestinal cells and lymphocytes (immune system cells).
- It is a cell volumizer
- It aids in recovery
- It boosts the immune system

How much should I take & when?
Although glutamine is a popular supplement, this question pops up quite often. The amount of glutamine you should take depends on your bodyweight. Dosages at .57g/kg bodyweight have been shown to be safe in short term use. The body needs a minimum of .2g/kg to have a positive effect on nitrogen balance. Here is a chart of daily dosages by body weight (at .2g/kg):
140lbs - 12.7g
150lbs - 13.6g
160lbs - 14.5g
170lbs - 15.4g
180lbs - 16.3g
190lbs - 17.2g
200lbs - 18.1g
210lbs - 19.1g
220lbs - 20g
230lbs - 20.9g
240lbs - 21.9g
250lbs - 22.7g
260lbs - 23.6g
270lbs - 24.5g

Although you could probably take your full daily dosage at once, it may not be the most comfortable thing to do so. Glutamine should not be taken with food, as it will drastically decrease the amount of glutamine that is absorbed. It is best taken post-workout with carbs & protein, or before bed, since Glutamine is believed to cause an increase in growth hormone (and this is an ideal time for this). A good time to take it is in the morning on an empty stomach.

Glutamine is easily one of the top 5 OTC supplements that anyone lifting weights should use. In fact, it could be #1 or maybe a close #2 (behind Creatine). It is currently more expensive than creatine, but the price has drastically dropped over the past 18 months. Hope this helps!