Ingredients7.9
Effectiveness8.8
Value8.8
Taste8.6
Mixability8
Pros
  • Green apple flavor tastes great
  • Contains the unique compound Sustamine for better protein synthesis and absorption
Cons
  • Has a proprietary blend and doesn't list the specific amounts for each ingredient
8.4Overall Score

Law enforcement philosopher Rust Cohle once observed that time is a flat circle, and the supplement industry is one of the best examples of this.

Even though a glutamine supplement like the new Glutamine Plus from Betancourt Nutrition isn’t anything we haven’t seen before, that doesn’t preclude it from being useful or effective.

Glutamine has several benefits, and plays an important role in growth and recovery. First I’ll cover the taste, mixability, and value of Glutamine Plus, and then discuss the benefits of glutamine and the ingredients in the Glutamine Plus blend.

Flavor First

I ended up getting the green apple flavor, but Glutamine Plus is also available in strawberry kiwi. I think Betancourt did a really good job on making the green apple taste good, and it was definitely something I looked forward to drinking.
Betancourt Glutamine Plus
I just drank it once a day after lunch, but the directions say you can take it during your workout, or anytime between meals.

Glutamine Plus mixes well overall, but there was a little bit of powder that settled at the bottom of my shaker cup. Each serving has about 5 g of glutamine, although it is a proprietary blend so it’s hard to say exactly how much glutamine you’re getting per serving.

As far as value goes, Glutamine Plus breaks down to about .70 cents a serving. This isn’t bad at all for a flavored glutamine supplement. Each container has 30 servings, most online retailers are carrying it for around $20 a bottle.

Glutamine Plus Blend

In addition to standard l-glutamine, Glutamine Plus also contains the patented compound Sustamine. This ingredient is a combination of l-glutamine and l-alaninine that improves water and electrolyte absorption in the intestines.

The formula also contains glutamine peptide and glutamine alpha-ketogluterate which are easily absorbed by the body.

Glutamine Benefits

Glutamine is best known for its ability to alleviate delayed onset muscle soreness and promote faster muscle recovery.

However, glutamine also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system. Since frequent and heavy exercise can deplete the body’s glutamine stores, it’s crucial to supplement with glutamine to bolster the immune system.
glutamine plus
Additionally, glutamine stacks really well with ingredients such as creatine. One study showed that 8 weeks of creatine and glutamine supplementation improved strength, endurance, and overall body composition.[1]

Glutamine Plus In a Nutshell

Glutamine Plus is a solid value (.70 cents a serving) if you’re looking for a flavored glutamine supplement. The green apple flavor tastes excellent, and you get the patented compound Sustamine for better water and electrolyte absorption.

As with other supplements, I do wish the label was more transparent and listed the exact amount of glutamine per serving. L-glutamine is the first ingredient listed though, so you’re most likely going to get around 5 g per serving.

Most experts recommend getting between 5-10 g of glutamine a day.

References:
[1] LEHMKUHL, MARK, et. al., The Effects of 8 Weeks of Creatine Monohydrate and Glutamine Supplementation on Body Composition and Performance Measures Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 17(3):425-438, August 2003


About The Author

Brian E. is from southern California and has worked for names like GNC and Vitamin Shoppe as a supplement expert and consultant. He currently lives in Utah and is studying marketing.

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