Glutamine is another amino acid naturally produced by the body. But, even though it's the most abundant, at times we still don't make enough of it for a hard training athlete. That's why it’s considered a “conditionally essential amino acid.”
Glutamine is found in meat and other animal products. Consuming these foods is the simplest way to get high amounts of it.
Physical stress is very hard on the body and effects a lot of our systems. The two most important to us is our digestive system and our immune system.
Glutamine has shown to support many of the body's processes, particularly good digestive function and good gut health.
It also plays a roll in fueling the body by sending nitrogen and carbon to many different parts of the body.
It is estimated that a typical high animal sourced protein diet contains 3 to 6 grams per day. However, during times when your body cannot produce optimal amounts, such as during injury, super intense training or illness, supplementing with glutamine may be beneficial for your immune health and muscle recovery.
Recent research has shown that the daily intake of supplemental glutamine needs to be high—at least 14g per day, consumed several times as day, in order to raise plasma glutamine concentrations.
I recommend up to 15g of glutamine per day, divided into three equal doses throughout the day, preferably with meals containing carbohydrates to support glucose utilization.