Would you like to manufacture your very own human growth hormone naturally?
Of course you would 😉
One of the little known effects of l-glutamine supplementation is increased human growth hormone levels. Not a bad effect for an unsexy supplement like glutamine.
I’ve already spoken about the importance of l-glutamine in your post workout shake, and I’ve spoken about the powerful effects of a cyclical ketogenic bodybuilding diet in keeping human growth hormone chronically elevated.
We can also elevate growth hormone while we sleep by taking as little as 2 grams of glutamine before snoozing. Check it out: (If you can’t be bothered to read the whole study, the red text at the end will do).
Study Title:
Increased plasma bicarbonate and growth hormone after an oral glutamine load
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61: 1058-1061, 1995
An oral glutamine load was administered to nine healthy subjects to determine the effect on plasma glutamine, bicarbonate, and circulating growth hormone concentrations. Two grams glutamine were dissolved in a cola drink and ingested over a 20-min period 45 min after a light breakfast. Forearm venous blood samples were obtained at zero time and at 30-min intervals for 90 min and compared with time controls obtained 1 wk earlier. Eight of nine subjects responded to the oral glutamine load with an increase in plasma glutamine at 30 and 60 min before returning to the control value at 90 min. Ninety minutes after the glutamine administration load both plasma bicarbonate concentration and circulating plasma growth hormone concentration were elevated. These findings demonstrate that a surprisingly small oral glutamine load is capable of elevating alkaline reserves as well as plasma growth hormone.”
2 grams at bedtime would prove useful. 90 minutes after digestion (while you’re asleep) your growth hormone levels will start to rise. Also, it may be beneficial to take this small dosage pre-workout as well. It’s such a small dosage and such a cheap supplement that you really can’t go wrong!
EAS do quality glutamine.
EAS L-Glutamine 14 oz (400 g)
Your Buddy!
Mark McManus
P.S. If you want to track your workouts, I added a workout log thread to the MuscleHack bodybuilding forum today at your request 🙂
In the study by Welbourne (1995) they demonstrated that a small 2g oral dosage of glutamine is capable of significantly elevating alkaline reserves as well as growth hormone. But does this affect the bodybuilder in any measurable way?
According to the Cadow et al (2001) they didn’t find any lean body mass gains. It might raise your growth hormone significantly but it begs the question…”does it actually DO anything for me when I’m trying to gain muscle?”
[More research is needed in this regard and how glutamine’s growth hormone increase affects your muscle.]
New muscle gains maybe not. Muscle preservation and energy during low carb dieting…. I think so.
Marks suggestion (particularly in recent posts on other areas of the site) is that the glutamine should be consumed at night, just before bed.
The study mentioned above has the response to the ingestion of the glutamine administered “45 min after a light breakfast” and recorded at 0/30/90 minute intervals thereafter.
Unless I am reading this wrong or I am missing some pertinent information, how does the suggestion to take the Glutamine before bed make any sense?
Hi Mark,
I bought your book and really like it.
I got the same glutamine you pictured above (following your link so hopefully they give you a referral), but I don’t have a scale and don’t have any way of measuring grams. Can you please tell us in teaspoons or table spoons how much 2 grams would be or how much 5 grams would be (your post workout shake)?
Thanks a lot
Jared, 5 grams is 1 teaspoon and 2 grams is basically 1/2 a teaspoon.
Cheers,
Mark