Need help losing weight? Join the club! Weight loss is a subject that many of us struggle with, but rest assured, it can be achieved once you know the basics.
The basic fundamentals of weight loss are actually pretty simple. We simply need to eat less and move more. Simple, huh? The problem is that nothing in life is ever as straightforward as we would like and there are also many other things to take into consideration if we are looking to drop a few pounds.
Supplements for example, can really help take your weight loss progress to the next level providing of course, that your diet is healthy, and you are physically active. One supplement in particular that has been grabbing weight loss headlines as of late is L-Glutamine, which is what we’re looking at today.
Here is a definitive guide on L-Glutamine supplements for weight loss.
What is L-Glutamine?
L-Glutamine is known as a conditionally essential amino acid.
It is the most abundant naturally occurring amino acid found in the human body, with the majority of it being found in the skeletal muscle system.
60% of all amino acids found in your muscle tissue come in the form of L-Glutamine, whereas 90% of all Glutamine produced in the body is produced in your skeletal muscles.
As well as being produced naturally, Glutamine supplements are also hugely popular amongst bodybuilders and people looking to lose weight and improve their athletic performance.
How does L-Glutamine work?
Glutamine helps to promote a positive nitrogen balance within the body, which means that it can assist with the growth and repair of muscle tissue. In order for protein synthesis to occur, a positive nitrogen balance must be achieved, and glutamine assists with exactly that.
When we exercise, our bodies quickly use up all of the natural glutamine present within us, which in turn can result in muscle fatigue, reductions in strength and endurance, and suppressed muscle recovery.
Supplementing with L-Glutamine means that this isn’t an issue as you can replenish natural Glutamine stores during physical exertion.
What are the weight loss benefits of L-Glutamine?
Some of the main benefits of Glutamine, particularly for weight loss include:
Increased lean muscle mass
Glutamine helps to achieve a positive nitrogen balance in the body which means that it can assist with protein synthesis. This is a process where the body naturally produces muscle tissue.
From a weight loss perspective, lean muscle tissue gives your physique a leaner and more defined look, plus the more muscle tissue you have, the faster your metabolism will work, allowing you to burn calories at a faster rate.
Quicker post-workout recovery
After intense physical exercise, our muscles need to recover and repair themselves.
After we exercise, our muscles become sore and damaged thanks to delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS as it is also known. The quicker your muscles can repair themselves, the more effective your workouts will be and the more calories you will burn.
L-Glutamine helps to reduce exercise-induced muscle tissue breakdown while enhancing protein synthesis, which in turn helps to reduce DOMS after we exercise.
Better hydration
Finally, when exercising to lose weight, we need to stay hydrated in order for our bodies to function as they should.
Experts have found that L-Glutamine uptake via our skeletal muscles can increase sodium uptake, which in turn can help to prevent fatigue when exercising brings on dehydration.
Put simply, L-Glutamine increases sodium uptakes within our skeletal muscles, which means better hydration levels when exercising. The more hydrated we are, the more effective our workouts will be, meaning we’ll burn more calories and lose more weight as a result.
