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Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in the human body and is arguably the most important in the process of building muscle and gaining strength. It can be found naturally in food sources such as beans, poultry, fish and dairy products, but in order to consume a highly beneficial amount you should probably consider buying it in powdered form as a nutritional supplement. Most serious weightlifters and bodybuilders would consider glutamine as one of the most important supplements out there, and for good reason. What exactly does glutamine do, and how is this beneficial to the muscle growth process? Glutamine is best known for being an "anti-catabolic" agent. What this means is that rather than directly promoting the growth of new muscle tissue, glutamine works by preserving the muscle tissue that you have already built. You see, muscle breakdown is occurring all the time. This naturally happens when you train intensely, when you don't provide your body with enough protein or during the time that you are sleeping. This process is completely naturally and is to be expected. However, if you are training and eating properly, then your body is also synthesizing new muscle tissue throughout the day. Your overall muscle gains can be calculated by taking the rate of muscle growth and subtracting the rate of muscle breakdown. Glutamine helps by minimizing the rate of muscle breakdown, resulting in greater overall net gains in muscle mass. Glutamine is also highly beneficial in the positive effect that it has on the immune system. Not only are your muscles heavily stressed from your workouts, but your entire immune system is stressed as well. Glutamine will help you to recover quicker in between your workouts and will also help to prevent you from getting sick. I would recommend supplementing with 10 grams of glutamine daily in order to see the best results. Although glutamine will not provide any immediately noticeable results, you will definitely achieve greater muscle gains in the long term by using it. Here are the two most important times to supplement with glutamine: 1) Within 30 minutes of completing your workout. After an intense workout your body's glutamine levels can drop by as much as 50%. In order to restore these levels the body will typically tap into the glutamine reservoirs within your muscle tissue. You should consume 5 grams at this time in order to keep your hard earned muscle in tact. 2) Right before bed. Taking 5 grams of glutamine right before you decide to doze off will help to minimize muscle breakdown while you sleep and will also increase your body's natural secretion of growth hormone, a powerful anabolic substance. Here is a quick recap of the recommended dosages: Workout Days: 5 grams post-workout, 5 grams before bed. Non-Workout Days: 5 grams with an afternoon meal, 5 grams before bed. Although glutamine will not provide any instant, dramatic muscle increases, you should be able to see by now that it is extremely important in the overall muscle-building process and is a supplement that no serious weightlifter should be without.
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