Most of you familiar with gym culture will probably think of glutamine as a muscle-building supplement alongside other classics like creatine monohydrate, whey protein, branched chain amino acids, and so forth. While it certainly can be used that way, glutamine is an incredibly versatile amino acid that plays a complex role in health, recovery, and even in the treatment of dry and damaged skin.
Today, we will look at glutamine supplementation for men, including the benefits, uses, side effects, muscle recovery, safety, and the impact glutamine has on skin health.
Benefits, Uses, and Side Effects of Glutamine Supplements
Glutamine is a nonessential amino acid. “Nonessential” is somewhat of a misnomer, as your body still needs glutamine to function properly. The reason it is not considered essential is that your body produces glutamine naturally. Therefore, any glutamine supplementation will mean extra glutamine on top of what your body is producing itself.
Benefits of glutamine supplementation include improved muscle and tissue repair. Glutamine plays a role in repairing wounds, building muscle, and is one of the primary building blocks of the body. Glutamine supplementation may also improve digestion and gut function as well as the visible appearance of skin.
Uses of glutamine include speedier recovery from injury, help with healing burns, treatment for sickle cell disease, and more. Glutamine has not been shown to improve athletic performance or strength increases, but it has been shown to improve muscle recovery (more on this below).
Side effects of glutamine supplementation potentially include: mild, non-threatening symptoms such as heartburn, stomach discomfort, and dizziness. Glutamine is very safe for most individuals.
How Glutamine Amino Acid Helps with Muscle Recovery
Glutamine, at its core, is a building block of protein. Protein is a building block of muscle. Glutamine is a critical component of building, repairing and maintaining muscle mass. Strength training and training for muscular hypertrophy involves literal muscle tears which are repaired by our bodies in a way that produces, larger and stronger muscles. This means that every time you lift in the gym, you are tearing down your body only for it to later be built back up.
Glutamine supplementation is effective at reducing recovery time and reducing muscle soreness after intense strength training. An important factor at play here is that a well rounded diet supplies all the glutamine your body needs. For many active adults, glutamine supplementation is like overflowing the gas tank. A healthy diet with plentiful natural protein sources will likely allow for your body to produce optimal glutamine on its own!
Is Glutamine Safe to Take?
Glutamine is produced by the body naturally and found in great abundance as a free amino acid. Taking glutamine as a supplement has been shown to be extremely safe when dosed properly. Potential health issues which may stem from glutamine supplementation will generally include one of the following issues:
The glutamine supplement is not as advertised. It may be obvious, but while pure glutamine is safe, taking an inferior product with God knows what in it may lead to issues. Unfortunately, dietary supplements such as glutamine are not held to a particularly high regulatory standard. Be sure to source your supplements from a trusted source.
Glutamine dosages were mislabeled or the individual took too much. Just because glutamine is healthy and natural does not mean that taking too much will do you any favors. The risk of glutamine overdose is extremely low, and will generally not lead to serious complications.
Do not take glutamine dietary supplements with certain medications. As with any change in your diet, supplementation, or medication, consulting with a doctor is always a great idea. Be careful about taking glutamine if you are on medication such as lactulose, chemotherapy treatments, or anticonvulsants (seizure medication).
Glutamine for Skin Repair and Recovery
Last but not least, how does glutamine factor into our skin health? When used as an ingredient in a daily moisturizing cream, glutamine is effective at repairing, restoring, and renewing skin tissue. This is particularly true for skin which has been cracked or damaged due to excessive dryness.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It breaks down just like your muscles and bones over time. Feed it the nutrients it needs to stay strong, healthy, and youthful. Glutamine, alongside other potent amino acids like proline, valine, lysine, and tyrosine, allows your skin to stay hydrated and healthy so you can perform in the gym, on the job, and throughout your everyday life.
HEFF Daily Moisturizing Cream with Glutamine Power
HEFF cream for hands, elbows and feet has been specifically formulated for working men. Harnessing the power of amino acids like glutamine, our lotion is ideal for even the most dry, cracked skin. Think of once-daily HEFF as routine maintenance for your body. Shower, shave, apply daily moisturizing cream, and you are all set for a day of hard work or hard play.
For every tube of HEFF sold, we are proud to donate a tube to Operation Gratitude. This is a small way of giving back to the men and women who keep our country safe.
To find HEFF, shop on Amazon, find us at any of these national retailers, or contact us directly for more information today!