Combining Glutamine and BCAA for Muscle building
L-Glutamine is one of 22 standard amino acids found in proteins in the body. L-Glutamine is an important consideration for bodybuilders because it is the most abundant amino acid found in muscle tissue, and is one of the contributory factors in muscle growth.
Glutamine is not considered an ‘essential’ amino acid (one that needs to be supplied by the diet) because it is synthesised naturally within muscle tissue. However, it does become what is known as ‘conditionally essential’ under conditions such as intensive muscle training, which is where L-Glutamine supplements play a pivotal role in maximising performance and recovery.
There are a variety of L-Glutamine uses within the body. It is known to regulate the acid-base balance of the kidneys and maintain a healthy function of the gut barrier within cells of the intestines. However, it is its role in aiding muscular recovery and growth that it has made it a primary concern for bodybuilders.
The presence of Glutamine significantly helps the glycogen in muscle tissue to improve the volume and firmness of the muscle, and also regulates protein synthesis, which is similar to the way steroids exert their muscle building effects. The key benefits of Glutamine as a muscle enhancer come from several different factors;
- Glutamine accelerates glycogen synthesis after a workout and helps to reduce how much is used
- Glutamine aids with repairing muscle tissue post-workout and therefore increases the turnaround time for each routine
- Protein synthesis involved in the building of muscle tissue is regulated by glutamine within the cells.
L-Glutamine benefits are most widely recognised when supplementing the body’s naturally depleted stores of the amino acid around 20-30 minutes after a workout. One of the minor side effects sometimes reported when taking L-Glutamine supplements is a slight stomach discomfort the first few times it is taken, but this generally subsides as the body becomes used to it and the dosage can be increased.
Along with Glutamine one of the key factors contributing to healthy muscle growth is branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs. Glutamine and BCAAs can have a synergistic relationship when supplemented together under intense workout conditions. Combining Glutamine and BCAA supplements has been shown to have outstanding results in relation to muscle growth, with reports of several pounds of additional muscle mass achieved compared with taking whey protein on its own.
The typical dosage for BCAA supplements starts at around 3 grams per 45 kilograms of lean body mass (your bodyweight minus your body fat percentage), however studies have shown the optimum levels for muscle gain are around 9 grams. The key effect of combining Glutamine with branched chain amino acids is to dramatically improve the nitrogen balance, which has a direct correlation with muscle recovery and growth.
Effectively, having high levels of glutamine in the blood helps the body with the protein synthesis that creates muscle mass. BCAA supplements combine well with glutamine supplements because they not only do they have some of the same anabolic effects, but BCAAs can actually contribute to the production of glutamine in the muscle, enhancing its overall effect and producing even more muscle protein synthesis.
Here are some popular BCAA and L Glutamine products -
Gasparis BCAA 6000
Better Body Sports (BBS) Beta BCAA’s
Bodybuilding Warehouse Excel – Advanced 2:1:1 BCAA blend that combines Branch Chain Amino Acids, Citruline Malate and Vitamin B6 designed to improve recovery, ATP product, reduce fatigue and reduce cortisol / muscle breakdown.
Bodybuilding Warehouse L-Glutamine
