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What are the differences between glutamine vs creatine for women’s health?

I have been using L-glutamine for years, as it has been a well-researched supplement for intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut).

But as I healed my gut and realized that more cardio and intense training was not conducive for gut health or better health overall, I shifted my focus to lean muscle mass and overall health and vibrance.

As such, I am a voracious reader of all things optimal health: no bloat, weight maintenance, aging gracefully, and general vibrance.

While researching nutritional supplements relating to L-glutamine, I started noticing more chatter around creatine supplementation. 

My bias has always said, “Creatine is only for professional athletes and/or the men who already have massive muscle size just looking to increase.” I also only ever thought of creatine as a steroid. But this is entirely wrong.

Creatine is NOT a steroid. The use of creatine supplements are legal.

So I wanted to do a comparison of glutamine vs creatine for women’s health + gut health in general and share what I found.

Glutamine vs Creatine [for Women’s health] 

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Glutamine

Let’s start with the one we are all far more likely to already be familiar with: glutamine.

From my book A Gutsy Girl’s Bible,

Glutamine is an essential amino acid that is anti-inflammatory and necessary for the growth and repair of your intestinal lining. L-glutamine acts a protector and coats your cell walls, acting as a repellent to irritants.

Dr. Josh Axe

Additionally,

Researchers are finding that it plays a critical role in healthy digestion and brain function.

And you can learn more about that HERE.

Glutamine is the body’s most abundant amino acid, representing approximately 40% to 60% of the total amino acid pool in the body, playing a crucial role in various physiological processes, including protein synthesis, immune function, and (of course) maintaining the integrity of the gut lining. 

Glutamine is required to perform a variety of essential functions in the human body.

Often referred to as the multitasker, glutamine is a nutrient with an impressive range of health benefits. It helps support normal blood glucose metabolism, build lean muscle tissue, and promote a normal immune system response.*

In the gut, glutamine promotes the health and function of the mucosal cells for normal repair.

Furthermore, glutamine distributes nitrogen freely to the cells that need it the most, such as the immune cells, the gut cells, and the muscle cells. 

If you’re interested in glutamine supplementation for leaky gut, I have an entire article devoted to it HERE.

Creatine

According to the Cleveland Clinic,

Creatine is a natural source of energy that helps your skeletal muscles flex (contract). It helps create a steady supply of energy in your muscles so they can keep working, especially while you’re exercising.

The most common creatine supplement is creatine monohydrate. It’s a dietary supplement that increases muscle performance in short-duration, high-intensity resistance exercises, such as weightlifting, sprinting and bicycling. Other forms of creatine don’t appear to have these benefits.

Additionally, creatine is also found in a much smaller quantity in your brain. It plays a critical role in producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the source of energy for your cells. 

4 Benefits of Creatine for Women

While you are likely to find even more benefits of creatine for women, there are the 4 main benefits I want to highlight in this article.

1] Energy Levels

But something that might be as surprising to you (as it was to me) is that creatine also plays in a vital role in overall energy levels.

And this is something that is highly beneficial for women who are bloated, gaining weight and always feeling like they are lacking energy production.

How often do you find yourself saying things like, “I want to be able to build lean body mass through low-intensity weight lifting and/or general movement, but I have NO energy?”

This is one positive effect of creatine. 

Scientific evidence shows that creatine also helps maintain pH balance and homeostasis, and can support “the recycling of energy and energy availability during exercise.”  (source)

2] Increase Lean Body Mass

When I was in my twenties, I did far too much cardio and ate far too little protein.

Subsequently, I got more bloated and gained more weight plus I could not get my gut healthy.

SIBO plagued me for years, and I was diagnosed with other things like a low-functioning thyroid, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut, and even Colitis.

Now that I’m in my 40’s and can look back and see everything so clearly, I no longer engage with:

• multiple intense workouts weekly
• high-intensity exercises
• eating less to become smaller

Getting sick helped me make INFORMED CHOICES as I’ve gotten older.

And increasing lean body mass through consistent (not strenuous) lifting workouts and fueling + supplementing appropriately has played a significant role in ensuring no bloat, reduced weight, and better overall health.

3] Mental Health

According to Psychology Today, 

Early trials suggest creatine supplementation can improve stress resilience, depression, and brain functions such as memory.

They continue,

Like muscle, human brain function is highly energy intensive. Therefore, it makes sense that the brain would also use creatine as a supplemental energy source. In fact, research revealed that creatine is so important to human brain function that the brain even synthesizes its own creatine.

If you’re interested in listening to an entire podcast episode on this, Dr. Gabrielle Lyons breaks down “Can taking creatine improve your mental health?” HERE.

4] Improved Sleep

I have talked about sleep and gut health at length because there is a direct correlation between how much sleep we’re getting and long term gut health.

Getting high-quality (and enough) sleep is crucial, and though creatine won’t help you get more (or sound) sleep, it can help deal with the adverse effects that sleep deprivation causes.

How Much L-Glutamine + Creatine?

So how much L-glutamine and creatine is recommended for individual needs?

I have reviewed this in depth for L-glutamine HERE. 

There are various protocols in supplementing with L-glutamine, depending on the individual.

I have research suggesting anywhere from 3g to 80g per day (80g as an absolute upper limit, and a protocol suggested by Charles Poliquin).

As for creatine, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon states,

The most effective dosing strategy to augment skeletal muscle stores of creatine is ~5 g of creatine monohydrate, 4 times daily for 5–7 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 3–5 g/day.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

But again, the potential benefits of creatine are extracted when you understand why you’re using it in the first place.

Therefore, research says anywhere from 1 – 3 grams per day to start up to the suggested amount from Dr. Lyon.

The upper limit is typically used for muscle growth and, as it relates to athletic performance, “loading phase.”

L-Glutamine + Creatine Food Sources

So are glutamine supplements and creatine supplements the only way to go?

No. 

In fact, there are plenty of food sources you can choose for incorporating them into your day.

GLUTAMINE	CREATINE
fish	pork
other seafood	beef
red cabbage	veal
milk	herring
cheese	salmon
yogurt	tuna
eggs	cod
nuts	shellfish
seeds	cow milk
soy	goat milk
red kidney beans	sheep milk
dark, leafy greens
seaweed
bone broth
grass-fed beef
asparagus
venison
parsley
legumes

It’s important to note that, while there are foods that contain creatine, when you cook these foods they may lose a lot of their creatine.

Therefore, most choose a creatine supplement as the better choice for maintaining optimal creatine stores.

Sources: HERE and HERE

Best Supplements for L-Glutamine + Creatine

L-Glutamine Supplements

My favorite is the Naked Glutamine because just one serving size contains 5g (approximately one scoop).

Creatine Supplements

The Creatine supplement I’m the biggest fan of is the Naked Creatine.

This is because it also only contains one ingredient: pure creatine monohydrate.

That’s right – the Naked Creatine is free of any artificial additives.

Additionally, the Naked Creatine:

• Is a research-backed creatine monohydrate powder to optimize muscle energy and growth (Note: if you choose to supplement with creatine, be sure it’s in the monohydrate form as that’s what has been proven for efficacy)
• Tested for heavy metals by an independent third party
• Is easily absorbed
• Dissolves fast (i.e. mixes well in drinks)
• The country of origin is the USA
• It is dairy free, certified gluten free, soy free, and Vegan
• Is also GMO free and keto-friendly

The best time to use the Naked Creatine is before and after workouts, and at the same time each day. 

You can add it to any liquid, like protein shakes and smoothies. [See also: Best Protein Powders for IBS.]

Can you Take Glutamine and Creatine Together?

Because both glutamine and creatine come in powder form, many wonder — “Can I add them both to my shake in one sitting?”

The answer is, “Yes. And, in fact, they are typically taken together to support recovery.” Many even believe they have synergistic benefits when used in conjunction. 

Getting enough glutamine is for repair and recovery (remember: also repair of the intestinal lining when you’re dealing with intestinal permeability); getting enough creatine supports muscle breakdown and recharging muscle energy. (source)

Side Effects of Glutamine and Creatine Supplementation

As always, this article (and any article found on A Gutsy Girl) is not medical advice. In order to make an informed decision about the supplements that are right for you, please be sure you’re working with a doctor or other medical professional.

Some known side effects of glutamine include:

• abdominal pain
• back pain
• constipation
• headache nausea

(Note that these were obtained from Cleveland Clinic who cited those side effects as they relate to sickle cell disease.)

Some known side effects of creatine include:

• water retention
• dizziness
• nausea and vomiting
• diarrhea
• excessive sweating

(Note that I kept with the same source, the Cleveland Clinic who cited the side effects, but also clearly stated that ‘Creatine is a relatively safe supplement.’)

Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Leave them in the comments below.

If you liked this article on glutamine vs creatine, you might also enjoy:

1. Best Supplements for IBS Bloating
2. Supplements for Beginners [on your gut healing journey]
3. Best Supplements for SIBO (based off experience + research)

Disclosure: This is a paid, sponsored post in partnership with Naked Protein. All opinions started here are 100% my own. I appreciate your support, as this compensation helps with expenses to keep this website up and running, and for me to continue sharing all that I can with you. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Xox,

SKH