Optimum Nutrition : Glutamine Powder Glutamine Supplements

Glutamine has been used in bodybuilding circles for a long time now recommended for everything from improving immune system response, to preserving muscle mass when dieting. Regardless of what it is intended for the rationale for taking glutamine is simple; despite being the body's most abundant amino acid glutamine is depleted rapidly during periods of stress where stress is any physical or mental stressor.

Exercising alone will greatly deplete glutamine but when you throw in a typical cocktail of stress, and poor sleep hygiene then you can pretty quickly run into a state where you exhaust glutamine levels. Low glutamine is linked to illness and indeed is one reason why hospital patients will be provided intravenous glutamine to help restore them to health.

For someone who is training hard and putting themselves under stress the use of a glutamine powder supplement is a sensible precaution. For dieters whose bodies are under huge amounts of stress the leaner they get, we would argue that a glutamine supplement becomes essential.