Glutamine vs. BCAA Supplement: Which should I take? Do I need both? 

You may have heard about and seen both of these products on the market before, but what is the difference between taking only a glutamine supplement versus a BCAA supplement? And do you need to take both, or just one? In this week’s blog post from Innovative Sports Nutrition we are going to dive deeper into the similarities and differences between these two supplements, and which may be a better supplement for you to take.

What are the similarities between glutamine and BCAA supplements?

As you may already know if you have read our other blog posts, glutamine and BCAA’s are both amino acids. What are amino acids, again? They are the building blocks of all proteins, and they aid in the growth and maintenance of our cells and tissues. There are a total of 20 amino acids in our bodies, and these 20 different amino acids can be categorized into essential and nonessential amino acids. This is a key reason glutamine and BCAA supplements differ. Nevertheless, glutamine and BCAA supplements both work to reduce fatigue and soreness after exercise and physical activity. 

What are the differences between glutamine and BCAA supplements?

BCAA supplements consist of essential amino acids that our body cannot produce on its own, so we often have to receive these amino acids from our diet, hence why many people may consider taking a BCAA supplement. The three main essential amino acids found in BCAA supplements are leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Glutamine is a nonessential amino acid, and this type of amino acid is one our body can produce on its own, however it has been created in a supplement form because often times peoples’ bodies cannot produce enough glutamine at the rate it is being utilized within the cells and tissues of our bodies when under bodily stress. Checkout our blog post on Glutamine to learn more about this nonessential amino acid.

Which supplement should I take–glutamine or BCAAs, or both?

Which of these supplements you should take ultimately depends upon your own body and how it reacts to the implementation of these two different supplements, as well as your overall goal when taking these supplements. If you are someone looking to build muscle mass, BCAAs would be the best option for you. If you are someone who is looking to take a supplement to aid in the development of your immune system, glutamine would be a better option for you. If you are looking for a combination of both of these benefits, maybe you would want to try taking both. Overall, BCAA supplements have been proven to be favored over glutamine supplements among athletes mainly because of the key role BCAAs can play in developing more muscle. However, this does not change the fact that they both can work to decrease soreness and fatigue during and after exercise. 

As always, I recommend giving both supplements a try yourself in order to determine which works best for your body. Glutamine and BCAA supplements may both concur great benefits for you when added to an already consistently healthy diet. Click right here to take a look at Innovative Sports Nutritions’ glutamine and BCAA supplements.