L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

[michigangirly]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

so i have L-Glutamine in the capsule form..does it still work to the same effect? Can I pull the capsule apart and take the power out? Usually if I am feeling a craving I will pop one, but from what I am reading everywhere the powder form with some cream seems to do the trick.

[biogeek]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

I imagine it would work the same in capsule form. From your description, it's powder inside a capsule instead of a solid capsule (no powder). If so, those capsules are made to dissolve quickly in the stomach, so there's no need to take them apart. Some folks don't like the idea of dissolving powders into water (or cream) so they take the capsule form. However, you can still take them apart if you wish, and if so, opt for the powder form in the future...it'll be cheaper!

[des]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

I have a question about L-Glutamine. I've got a bottle that came free with some protein powder I bought about a year and a half ago. I've never opened it. It has no expiry date anywhere on it. What do you think? Is it still good, or should I throw it out?
Thanks.

[biogeek]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

You should be ok to take it. It may not work as effectively as it did before though or it may work just fine. We have pure L-glutamine in the lab, and as long as it is stored properly, it has an indefinate shelf-life.

Hope this helps.

[des]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

Wonderful, thanks!

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

[center]GLUTAMINE
Exercise recovery: As stated before, L-glutamine will repair and preserve muscle tissue. Since exercise can cause microscopic tears in the muscles, which is needed to improve strength and endurance, your body will increase its demands on L-glutamine. Taking a supplement will help your body build more muscle instead of breaking tissue down for energy.

This is fabulous information! Just another vitamin I will add to my regiment!
With my exercise routine, instead of a TON of cardio, I'm concentrating on more resistance training and I think taking L-glutamine would be great in helping my training.

I've only just been learning about which vitamins I should be taking and I am actually happy to know that I am adding such great things to my body that I wouldn't get normally.

Thanks for giving all this info on Glutamine!

[biogeek]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

Good luck on your workouts! You'll be a buff bride before you know it!

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

Good luck on your workouts! You'll be a buff bride before you know it!

Biogeek,

quick question...I posted this on the EXERCISE forum - but it doesn't seem to be that active...

Ok - so I got L-Glutamine in the powdered form and 1 tsp is 4500 mg.
I am on rung 2 of atkins and wans't too sure on how to introduce dairy back in and wanted to do it VERY slowly - so I opted to bring Whey Protein shakes back in (only after exercising)...

My exercise regiment consists of resistance training + cardio Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday (this isn't really new to me as I used to do RT and cardio off/on for the past 5 years...) but I'm RALLY trying to get back into a good pattern...

so as far as the L-Glutamine, I've only taken it once since buying it (yesterday)...I went to the gym - did my cardio warm up (10 minutes treadmill) - did my legs workout (about 40 minutes) then did medium-high intense cardio on the eliptical for 20 minutes.
I brought the scoop of whey protein + the tsp of glutamine with me in a shaker and as soon as I got back into the locker room I mixed it with water and drank it, as I've read - for exercise - to take the Glutamine within 30 minutes/immediately after working out.

So my question is - do you know that much about whey protein? The kind I have actually has a little bit of Glutamine already in it - but adding it to the protein shake was how the guy at Vitamin Shoppe told me to do it (plus i've read a lot of people use the powder form this way...)

I look forward to your answer! Thanks!!

[biogeek]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

Whey protein is a great product! I could be wrong, but I don't consider whey protein to be a part of the dairy rung in this WOE....it's a supplement. Yes, it is derived from milk and what you're consuming is protein from milk, but it hardly has any lactose in it, if any at all. You'll need to read the label your supplement. However, if you know that you're sensitive to whey, then adding it back slowing is a good thing. I'm just not sure how Dr. Atkins considered whey protein as part of the eating rungs. I'll look into it!!

You can add L-glutamine to your whey protein shake and it KEY to drinking it right after exercise or within 30 minutes. Whey protein is fast-absorbing, so you want to maximize its benefits right when your body is needing it after exercise.

I do know quite a bit about whey protein, but it would be easier to answer specific questions instead of inundating you with a lot of info that you may not want. I should probably add it to my list of topics to post in the vita-nutrient forum.

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

Whey protein is a great product! I could be wrong, but I don't consider whey protein to be a part of the dairy rung in this WOE....it's a supplement. Yes, it is derived from milk and what you're consuming is protein from milk, but it hardly has any lactose in it, if any at all. You'll need to read the label your supplement. However, if you know that you're sensitive to whey, then adding it back slowing is a good thing. I'm just not sure how Dr. Atkins considered whey protein as part of the eating rungs. I'll look into it!!

You can add L-glutamine to your whey protein shake and it KEY to drinking it right after exercise or within 30 minutes. Whey protein is fast-absorbing, so you want to maximize its benefits right when your body is needing it after exercise.

I do know quite a bit about whey protein, but it would be easier to answer specific questions instead of inundating you with a lot of info that you may not want. I should probably add it to my list of topics to post in the vita-nutrient forum.

So would you / do you only drink a protein shake with the L-Glutamine ONLY on days you exercise? As I said before, I'm trying to exercise pretty much every other day. (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)...does it really matter if i were to ONLY drink the protein shake on days I exercise? Should I have the Glutamine on the days I DON'T exercise (but only in water, not with the Whey?)

btw, I REALLY appreciate your time and answers!!!!!

[biogeek]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

So would you / do you only drink a protein shake with the L-Glutamine ONLY on days you exercise? As I said before, I'm trying to exercise pretty much every other day. (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)...does it really matter if i were to ONLY drink the protein shake on days I exercise? Should I have the Glutamine on the days I DON'T exercise (but only in water, not with the Whey?)

btw, I REALLY appreciate your time and answers!!!!!

Personally, I only drink the whey protein/L-glutamine shakes on days I do an intense workout. However, I take L-glutamine DAILY (dissolved in water) as it does more than just help with muscle recovery. It's great for your immune system among other things. I take significantly more than you do, but I've been taking it for a couple of years now.

I do know other people that drink whey protein every day, whether they workout or not. They tend to use it as part of a meal replacement. Me? I prefer food!

Just an aside: I consider an intense workout one where I've lifted weights (my fave!) for an hour or more; or done high-level aerobics for 45 min or more (e.g. Slim in 6/Slim Series or P90X videos). If I'm walking or doing yoga, I consider those "light" workouts.

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

Personally, I only drink the whey protein/L-glutamine shakes on days I do an intense workout. However, I take L-glutamine DAILY (dissolved in water) as it does more than just help with muscle recovery. It's great for your immune system among other things. I take significantly more than you do, but I've been taking it for a couple of years now.

I do know other people that drink whey protein every day, whether they workout or not. They tend to use it as part of a meal replacement. Me? I prefer food!

Just an aside: I consider an intense workout one where I've lifted weights (my fave!) for an hour or more; or done high-level aerobics for 45 min or more (e.g. Slim in 6/Slim Series or P90X videos). If I'm walking or doing yoga, I consider those "light" workouts.

Thank you very much! I would really like to start taking the L-Glutamine on a daily basis, but obviously only drink the whey protein shake on the days I work out.

I think it's flavorless/tasteless/odorless, correct? So If I have 1 tsp of the L-Glutamine with my tea at work (usually drink around 11:00 a.m.) I can get it in.

Like I said, I've been working out off/on for the past few years - but I've NEVER used supplements or vitamins of ANY kind (not even a multivitamin) until I started Atkins.

I feel better (mentally) knowing that I am going to be taking a supplement (the L-Glutamine) that makes all those workouts actually "worth it" and that I'm not "wasting my time" now when working out and not getting all the full benefits FROM working out like I now feel I may have been doing before...knowing that taking the L-Glutamine helps "repair" your muscles after a workout instead of your body feeding on the muscle.

I really appreciate all the answers you've given me so far. Thanks again!!!!

[biogeek]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

You can buy L-glutamine flavored or unflavored. I get the "unflavored" kind and sometimes I can barely taste something, but most times--nothing. I definitely can't smell it, but I know it's in there! I would NOT, however, put it in a HOT drink, as it would most likely denature the amino acid. Cold tea would be just fine.

Let me know if you have further questions or concerns either by post or PM.

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

I would NOT, however, put it in a HOT drink, as it would most likely denature the amino acid. Cold tea would be just fine.

aaaah very good to know. thanks for that info!

[Sherri]

Re: L-glutamine: an incredible amino acid for good health!

I'm a believer of L-Glutamine and it's effects on stoppping sugar cravings. I wanted to add the info I have regarding this wonderful amino acid. For I take it in capsule form and find it just as effective.
Sherri


Take L-glutamine (not glutamic acid). to help control "irresistable" cravings for sweets. Begin with 1 200mg capsul or tablet(I take gel capsule form) three times a day for one week. Then INCREASE the dose to 2 capsuls or tablets three times a day for one week.
After two weeks, if you feel more alert, more energetic, and have lost your craving for sweets, you can then experiment with the amount of L-glutamine you take until you find the best level for you.

This is how L-Glutamine works-
Through nutritional magic and by the use of L-glutamine, a form of glumatic acid which the brain consumes for energy, we can feed the brain and quiet its craving for sweets.
Because L-glutamine can cross the brain barrier easily, and the brain can take it and quickly convert it into glumatic acid, if you take L-Glutamine in supplemental form the brain will be able to satisfy its hunger more easily.
Glumatic acid serves primarily as a fuel for the brain's operation and as a buffer against excess amonia.
The relationship of glumatic acid to glucose (blood sugar) goes beyond the brain-fuel interrelationship. Since the brain can store only a small amount of glucose, it is very dependent on the second-to-second supply of blood sugar which may explain dizziness and other nervous symptoms that accompany hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
The grey matter in the brain converts glumatic acid to a special compound that helps regulate brain cell activity. Thus, a shortage of L-glutamine in the diet, and of glumatic acid in the brain, can result in brain damage due to excess ammonia or a brain that cannot get into "high gear."
The stress of the dieting can lead some people who are not nessesarily fond of alcohol to drink a lot more than usual in an effort to control the stress level they feel.
Also, since alcohol is metabolized very quickly, it is converted to brain fuel, and during your diet your brain can feel hungry and ask for a drink. If you answer it's request and continue to do so you can do more than just wreck your diet program.
Dr. Roger Williams, along with his colleagues at Clayton Foundation for Research at the University of Texas, made the vital discovery that not only did L-glutamine protect against poisonous effects of alcohol, it also controlled or stopped completely the craving for it.
L-glutamine is a versitile amino acid that can contribute to your diet program if, on your way to your best weight level, you suffer from any of these problems described.
L-Glutamine is an excellent supplement to curb the cravings for sweetness and alcohol