If you work out or if you belong to a gym, it's likely that you've probably heard about the supplement glutamine. However, just because you've heard of glutamine doesn't necessarily mean you know all about it and what it does.

Below is a breakdown of what it is and what it does. You will also learn about what it can do for you.

Glutamine at its essence is an amino acid found in many proteins, animal and plant substances. Manufacturers make glutamine for medicinal purposes and biochemical research. It's also used a nutritional therapy, because it is an amino acid.

Most importantly, many people think it's very effective as brain "food." In fact, it's been used by doctors to treat depression or alcoholism.

Many people trying to drop a few pounds really like Glutamine as it helps to reduce cravings for sweets. It is also known that it is very important part in building up muscles and how your metabolism works.

If you're a bodybuilder, you can try taking glutamine to help in your workouts. For this purpose, you should usually take about eight to 17 mg a day, broken up into three doses.

Glutamine as a supplement really has no side effects, although some people have reported that their stomach gets upset if they take too much. Beyond that, though, no real side effects have been reported.

A lot of people like to take glutamine, of course, but bodybuilders probably top the list. That's because it can help keep muscles from breaking down as you work out.

Bodybuilders who work out a lot put their muscles under a lot of stress, which means that muscle deterioration is likely; glutamine, however, can help keep muscles from breaking down because it replaces what's lost in muscle stores during workouts.

If you are into bodybuilding then supplementing with Glutamine may be something that you will want to look into. As with any type of supplement, check with your doctor before starting use of it.

Above all, make sure you do what's right for you. Check to make sure that taking glutamine isn't going to negatively interact with any current medications you're taking, or with any health conditions you currently experience.

If you decide to supplement with any type of nutrient that's going to help you with bodybuilding, glutamine might just be the way to go. It doesn't have any side effects and it can be very beneficial to you.