What is the best bodybuilding supplement?

When you look at any bodybuilding or fitness magazine you see dozens of ads for supplements that all promise to give you huge gains in muscle and a reduction in bodyfat. Very few people can afford to take them all. And if you did you would spend all day popping pills and forcing down powders, drinks, etc… However, one supplement that you should consider taking is Glutamine.

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. It constitutes more than 50% of the amino acids found in muscle cells. Glutamine is a "non-essential" amino acid. Now that term can be a bit confusing. "Non-essential" simply means that you don't have to get your glutamine from outside sources. It is so important to bodily functions that the body actually produces glutamine.

But your body can only produce a certain amount of glutamine. When you put stress on your body (i.e. exercise) the demand for glutamine increases and very often the body can't produce enough. Our bodies use a lot of glutamine every single day. It is required to maintain the proper function of your immune system, brain, kidneys, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, etc… This places a very high demand on your body's resources.

The brain, organs, immune system, etc. receive high priority for glutamine. Any glutamine that is not used for the essential bodily functions is used to help build and repair muscle tissue. If you don't provide extra glutamine you could easily deplete your body's resources before your muscles receive all the glutamine that they need.

Building muscle is not the body's top priority. If the body needs extra glutamine for the essential bodily functions it will break down muscle tissue to get the extra glutamine. This is something that we want to prevent from happening.

This is where supplementation comes in. Studies have shown that supplementing glutamine can prevent muscle wasting, it produces and potent anti-catabolic effect. So what is the best way to supplement glutamine? Consuming an additional 10 grams of glutamine along with a high protein diet should do the trick for most bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts.

I recommend using pure glutamine powder (which is available in most supplement stores) and take 5 grams of glutamine 2 times per day (i.e. after a workout and before bed). It is best to take a couple of small servings of glutamine throughout the day because the body can only utilize a small amount of glutamine at one time. You can mix glutamine with either a glass of water, juice, protein drink, etc.

When I started supplementing with glutamine I noticed the results within a week of taking it. I felt better physically and I had more energy in the gym. I also noticed a reduction in muscle soreness and fatigue. I highly recommend that you give it a try.