Overview
What is glutamine?
What are glutamine’s main benefits?
What are glutamine’s main drawbacks?
How does glutamine work?
Dosage information
Supplementation of L-glutamine tends to be dosed at 5 g or above, with higher doses being advised against due to excessive ammonia in serum. The lowest dose found to increase ammonia in serum has been 0.75 g/kg, or approximately 51 g for a 150 lb individual.
Due to the relative inefficacy of glutamine supplementation for increasing muscle mass, the optimal dosage is not known. The above recommended doses are sufficient for intestinal health reasons and for attenuating a possible relative glutamine deficiency (seen in instances of low protein intake or veganism).
Examine Database: Glutamine
Frequently asked questions
Fact check: does glutamine build muscle?
What are other names for Glutamine?
Research Breakdown
References
Examine Database References
- Muscular Dystrophy Symptoms - Mok E, Letellier G, Cuisset JM, Denjean A, Gottrand F, Alberti C, Hankard RLack of functional benefit with glutamine versus placebo in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a randomized crossover trialPLoS One.(2009)
- Body Fat - Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, Burke DG, Davison KS, Smith-Palmer TEffect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young adultsEur J Appl Physiol.(2001 Dec)
- Uric Acid - Bassini-Cameron A, Monteiro A, Gomes A, Werneck-de-Castro JP, Cameron LGlutamine protects against increases in blood ammonia in football players in an exercise intensity-dependent wayBr J Sports Med.(2008 Apr)
- Ammonia - Carvalho-Peixoto J, Alves RC, Cameron LCGlutamine and carbohydrate supplements reduce ammonemia increase during endurance field exerciseAppl Physiol Nutr Metab.(2007 Dec)
- Immunity - Yalçin SS, Yurdakök K, Tezcan I, Tuncer MEffect of glutamine supplementation on lymphocyte subsets in children with acute diarrheaTurk J Pediatr.(2010 May-Jun)
- Insulin - Rotovnik Kozjek N, Kompan L, Soeters P, Oblak I, Mlakar Mastnak D, Možina B, Zadnik V, Anderluh F, Velenik VOral glutamine supplementation during preoperative radiochemotherapy in patients with rectal cancer: a randomised double blinded, placebo controlled pilot studyClin Nutr.(2011 Oct)
- Insulin - Awad S, Fearon KC, Macdonald IA, Lobo DNA randomized cross-over study of the metabolic and hormonal responses following two preoperative conditioning drinksNutrition.(2011 Sep)
- Crohn's Disease Symptoms - Jaya Benjamin, Govind Makharia, Vineet Ahuja, K D Anand Rajan, Mani Kalaivani, Siddhartha Datta Gupta, Yogendra Kumar JoshiGlutamine and whey protein improve intestinal permeability and morphology in patients with Crohn's disease: a randomized controlled trialDig Dis Sci.(2012 Apr)
- Crohn's Disease Symptoms - Akobeng AK, Miller V, Thomas AG, Richmond KGlutamine supplementation and intestinal permeability in Crohn's diseaseJPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr.(2000 May-Jun)
- Crohn's Disease Symptoms - E Den Hond, M Hiele, M Peeters, Y Ghoos, P RutgeertsEffect of long-term oral glutamine supplements on small intestinal permeability in patients with Crohn's diseaseJPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr.(Jan-Feb 1999)
- Exercise Capacity (with Heart Conditions) - Khogali SE, Pringle SD, Weryk BV, Rennie MJIs glutamine beneficial in ischemic heart diseaseNutrition.(2002 Feb)
- Creatinine - Galera SC, Fechine FV, Teixeira MJ, Coelho ZC, de Vasconcelos RC, de Vasconcelos PRThe safety of oral use of L-glutamine in middle-aged and elderly individualsNutrition.(2010 Apr)
- All-Cause Mortality - Jiang W, Shi K, Shao J, Song L, Shi Y, Wang H, Zhou L, Li L, Feng Y, Yu J, Zheng RProtective effect of intravenous amino acid on kidney function: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Crit Care.(2024 Oct 23)
- Exercise Capacity (with Heart Conditions) - Marwood S, Jack S, Patel M, Walker P, Bowtell J, Calverley PNo effect of glutamine ingestion on indices of oxidative metabolism in stable COPDRespir Physiol Neurobiol.(2011 Jun 30)
