The Skinny Guy's Guide To Glutamine
| By Vince DelMonte |
When was the last time you read an article discrediting the effects of glutamine? Maybe this will be your first one? Unfortunately, the majority of bodybuilding and muscle magazines still have this supplement on their "Top 5 Lists." I am not here to convince you to never buy another tub of glutamine again, but if stay with me, I will do my best to debunk some of the common myths that have led you to believe that this expensive supplement is necessary. But I Thought Glutamine Was A "No Brainer" Supplement? Creatine is a 'no brainer' supplement, protein powder is a 'no brainer' supplement, multi vitamins and fish oils are 'no brainer' supplements. Sorry, Glutamine, you did not make the team - despite the fact it gets its own message boards, chat rooms, magazine articles and its own section in the supplement store. I don't need to remind you that the supplement industry is a billion-dollar industry. Since I used to be a skinny guy myself, I know how badly you want to build the perfect body - or at least one that gets you more dates and more respect at the gym! Since I have already wasted thousands of dollars on certain, not all, supplements myself, I feel an obligation to tell you the other side of the story. To reveal the glutamine research that NOBODY wants you to read. But this is obvious - nobody makes money disproving the credibility of a hot selling supplement! So here is where I will make my stand. Glutamine has no muscle-building effects whatsoever. Now before we get too deep, remember that I am not a PH.D student or a research geek. I will pass along the information and let you decide for yourself, and, in the process, do my best to make this fun and interesting. Glutamine 101 Here is a quick introduction for you skinny guys who have never heard of glutamine. Glutamine makes up 2/3's of the amino acids in our body, which could make a strong case for it being the most important. Understand that glutamine is also a non-essential amino acid which means your body produces it by itself. This does not mean you do not need it - only that external consumption is not mandatory. The most interesting fact about glutamine is that during times of stress (which is not clearly defined), our amino acid pool is depleted which can prevent muscle growth since glutamine makes up the greatest percentage of amino acids. Hence, the theory for supplementing with glutamine if you weight train. Glutamine Claims I cut and pasted these right out of random chat room just to show you I am more in tune with the word on the street: "...glutamine helps with weight training and prevents muscle soreness..." "...you need glutamine to repair your muscles." "...supplemental glutamine can help prevent your body from losing muscle." "...glutamine is not worthless. I train with bodybuilders every day and they recommend it." "Glutamine is the most important supplement for bodybuilders..." "It boosts immune function which helps you recover from colds much quicker.." "Taking large amounts of glutamine before a workout contributes to huge pumps..." "Glutamine assists in situations of trauma which contributes to faster recovery..." What Glutamine Sales Reps Are Afraid Of You Discovering Although the majority of glutamine supplementation hoopla praises its contribution to increased muscle size and strength, decreased chance of overtraining and the other claims above, current research today gives no evident benefits for the skinny guy who wants to build muscle - never mind for any weight trainer in general. Recently I received an article from a fellow colleague, David Barr MSc., who collected a large batch of research with an exhaustive reference list supporting the notion that glutamine is useful for only very specific conditions (which we will discuss shortly). Here is a list of some of the most interesting data that David Barr found in his research with my extra commentary:
So Is Glutamine A Worthless Supplement? Well, if you stopped reading right now you would think so! And you are probably confused as heck right now because everything you have heard on glutamine before today praised its holiness. Remember, the supplement industry is a billion-dollar industry and nobody makes money by disproving the effectiveness of supplements. In the end, you must decide for yourself what you wish to believe. When Glutamine Is Worth Using David Barr fingers a few situations when glutamine supplement will prove useful for the bodybuilder, so here is a chance to see if your glutamine should still be in your budget:
In Conclusion At the start I stated that, "Glutamine has no muscle building effects whatsoever." After reviewing this article, you will notice that is not as black and white as that. However, the take home message, especially to you skinny guys, is that if you are on a proper muscle-building meal plan and using solid post-workout nutrition strategies, glutamine is not a worthwhile supplement for you. Save your money and put it towards food if you are motivated to gain muscle weight. Save your money and put it towards food if you are motivated to gain muscle weight. I hope this supplement was a good example of looking at the evidence rather then the hyped-up muscle rags and advice from the 'expert' at your gym. In the end, you are free to believe what you wish, but remember that the current research today does not support the spectacular muscle-building effects supplement companies claim. |
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