L-glutamine, also known as glutamine, is an amino acid derived from another amino acid, glutamic acid. It is known to help prevent post-exercise infections, such as the "post-marathon sniffle," a cold that develops after endurance exercise. (Vitamin C has and echinacea have also shown promise for the prevention of post-exercise infections.)
Typical therapeutic dosages of glutamine used in studies range from 3 to 30 g daily, divided into several separate doses. There is strong evidence that glutamine is safe at levels up to 14 g per day, and probably higher.1
There is some evidence that the supplement glutamine may, like vitamin C, help prevent post-exercise infections.78-83 For example, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the benefits of supplemental glutamine (5 g) taken at the end of exercise in 151 endurance athletes.84 The result showed a significant decrease in infections among treated athletes. Only 19% of the athletes taking glutamine got sick, as compared to 51% of those on placebo. Echinacea has also shown a bit of promise for this purpose.160
Glutamine plays a role in the health of the immune system, as well as other bodily functions. Heavy exercise and other stressors can deplete the body's glutamine reserves, particularly in muscle cells. This is probably why supplementing with glutamine is useful for preventing exercise-induced infections.
L-glutamine, also known as glutamine, is an amino acid derived from another amino acid, glutamic acid. It is known to help prevent post-exercise infections, such as the "post-marathon sniffle," a cold that develops after endurance exercise. (Vitamin C and echinacea have also shown promise for the prevention of post-exercise infections.)
Glutamine plays a role in the health of the immune system, as well as other bodily functions. Heavy exercise and other stressors can deplete the body's glutamine reserves, particularly in muscle cells. This is probably why supplementing with glutamine is useful for preventing exercise-induced infections.
