L-Glutamine is one of those supplements that falls into the category of giving you “subtle” benefits – meaning you’ll need to have a somewhat regular workout routine, complimented with a relatively conscious diet in order to really see the beneficial effect. Once you have reached a point of noticing how different foods can effect your energy levels, digestion or recovery rate, and can feel differences in muscle stamina and recovery during and after your workouts then take a look into some L-glutamine.
Prairie Naturals offers a quality L-glutamine supplement in the form of both a powder and a capsule, both with their own pros and cons. Being a couple of ultra runners who are very cautious of what we feed our bodies, and conscious of how this affects our body, we wanted to share with you our experiences with the use of both forms during our training. Hopefully this can help you make the decision on what would fit better into your lifestyle.
Without getting too scientific (we love to keep things simple:)!) L-glutamine can minimize muscle breakdown while improving muscle growth and recovery. It is also a key amino acid for digestive health and optimal immune function.
L-glutamine Powder
This white powder is quite fine and thus makes it dissolve quickly into water, juice or in a smoothie so you can take it however you like. The taste is so mild you likely won’t even notice it, which is a huge pro when compared to other powders. The negative side of the powder form is quite obvious, the convenience of carrying this along with you during a race or even just to the gym can be a bit difficult and messy when you go to pour it into your bottle.
L-glutamine Capsules
Convenience is what the tabs are all about. Its the same product being used, only packaged up in a swallow sized, 500mg capsules for you to take wherever you need them. The capsules are easy to swallow and these are great to have in your running pack during longer training runs or ultras to help fight off the muscle breakdown and fatigue. The biggest con we find with these is simply the quantity of pills you need to pop for the recommended dose. The feeling of taking 4 pills at a time can seem a bit overwhelming.
Both forms we have to say digest well even on the run, and can help improve recovery and performance if used optimally. What we would recommend, if you’re looking for an on the run recovery aid that you can take during a race or extra long hike/camping trip, then the capsules would definitely be the way to go. However if you are planning to take it before or after your workout session, or can pour in a scoop or two into your bladder before a long hike, then go for the powder form, and you’ll feel less like a pharmaceutical hound!
We invite anyone and everyone to share their experiences with this product or any similar. We definitely recommend giving some L-Glutamine a try, it can give you great benefits and help you climb to the next level of athletic performance. 🙂
Looking for something else? Take a read of our other supplements reviews and comparisons:
–> If you’re interested in other Product Reviews by Ultra Mel and Jon
