IO Genix Glutamine Kyowa - Muscle Recovery

What is IO Genix Glutamine Kyowa?

IO Genix Glutamine Kyowa is an L-glutamine powder dosed at 5 g per scoop, to which 1.4 mg of vitamin B6 is added. It comes in 300 g and 500 g, in an unflavoured or raspberry version.

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle and in plasma. The body makes it itself, which makes it a non-essential amino acid in the strict sense, but the rate at which it is used up rises during periods of sustained training, calorie restriction or physiological stress. That is where the question of an additional intake arises.

The Kyowa Quality mention refers to the raw material, produced by Japan's Kyowa Hakko from a plant-based fermentation. It is an indication of origin and process, not a particular biological property: the molecule obtained is the same as that of any other glutamine. What the label guarantees is traceability and process control, which is no small thing on an amino acid produced in very large volumes. The rest of the range appears in our IO Genix aisle.

What is in a 5 g serving?

The per-100 g values are calculated from the manufacturer's declaration for a 5 g serving. One inconsistency deserves to be flagged rather than glossed over: the data sheet states 0 g of carbohydrate while the ingredients list mentions maltodextrin, which is one. The amount is in all likelihood small, but we do not know it and will not reconstruct it. The label on the tub you receive is the authority.

5 g per serving is the reference amount, and it is the one used in most of the published work on glutamine. Few products go below it, but many sell 3 g scoops that then have to be doubled, which completely changes the real cost per serving. Always check the weight of the scoop before comparing two tubs.

The number of servings depends on the size, and there is a clarification to make here too. The manufacturer states 100 servings per container, which corresponds to the 500 g size. The 300 g size contains 60, at 5 g per serving. The larger size therefore works out cheaper per serving, but is only worth it if you keep it up.

Vitamin B6 at 1.4 mg covers the European reference value exactly. It is not there by chance: it contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism, to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. It is the only ingredient in this tub to carry authorised claims. If it is this vitamin that interests you in its own right, our vitamin B aisle offers it dosed separately.

A regulatory clarification belongs here: L-glutamine has no authorised health claim in Europe. Not on recovery, not on immunity, not on the gut lining. The former description on this page claimed that supplementation sped up recovery and maintained immune function: that wording was not compliant and has been removed.

Ingredients list

L-glutamine (Kyowa Quality), maltodextrin, acidity regulator (citric acid), flavouring, sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame K) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride). The unflavoured version contains neither flavouring nor sweetener. May contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, FISH, SOYA and MILK.

How do you take Glutamine Kyowa?

Serving: one level scoop, or 5 g. Liquid: 300 ml of water or fruit juice. Timing: straight after training, or before bed on rest days. Frequency: one serving per training day; the manufacturer describes a more intensive protocol of three servings spread across non-training days. Duration: no set course length, use is ongoing.

One serving a day covers what the vast majority of trainees need. The three-serving protocol is aimed at high training volumes, and you should be clear about what it represents: 15 g of free amino acid a day, every day. If you are starting out, begin with one serving and see.

The powder dissolves well but stays slightly tart on the palate in the raspberry version. Fruit juice masks that tartness better than water does, with no downside. The unflavoured version, for its part, mixes into anything — into a protein shake, into porridge, into a fruit purée — and it is often the more practical choice for everyday use.

Avoid mixing it into a hot drink: glutamine is not very stable in solution when heated. A shake made up in the morning for the afternoon is no problem; a cup of boiling tea is.

Who is Glutamine Kyowa for, and who is it not for?

It suits someone on a high training volume, someone in a prolonged calorie deficit, or someone stringing sessions together without a genuine rest day. Those are the situations in which the body's use of glutamine rises the most.

The manufacturer does not recommend it for pregnant and breastfeeding women and restricts it to adults over 18. It also asks that you seek the advice of a healthcare professional in cases of liver or kidney disorders, or if you are on medication: that is a sensible precaution, since amino acid metabolism runs through the liver and the kidneys.

It is not for you if your daily protein intake is already high. This is the least commercial truth on this page: a 30 g whey isolate shake already supplies roughly 1.5 to 2 g of glutamine, and a diet providing 150 g of protein a day supplies several grams. In that context, the additional intake is marginal, and the literature on the benefits of supplementation in a well-fed athlete is far from convincing.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a product that drives progress. It does not build muscle, it does not replace a protein, and you will feel nothing when you take it. It is a comfort supplement, to consider once the rest is already in place, not before. If you have any medical doubt, ask your doctor or your pharmacist.

Glutamine or EAAs after training?

Both are taken at the same moment and compete for the same budget, so we may as well put the question plainly.

An EAA supplies all nine essential amino acids, including the leucine that triggers protein synthesis. In terms of building muscle, there is no comparison: it is the better choice if you train fasted, if your protein intake is low, or if you want a single product after the session. It costs more per serving, and it has a stronger taste.

Glutamine does not play in that category. Its value lies elsewhere: it is a non-essential amino acid, heavily used during periods of heavy load, and its use has more to do with recovery comfort than with performance. It is the better choice if your diet already comfortably covers your protein needs and you are looking to top up on one specific point, or if you cope badly with complex formulas.

If your budget allows only one product, buy the protein or the essential amino acids before the glutamine. That is the logical order, and we say so over the counter just as we do here.

Frequently asked questions

How many servings are in a tub?

Sixty for the 300 g size, one hundred for the 500 g size, at 5 g per serving. The manufacturer quotes the figure of 100 servings without specifying which size it refers to: it corresponds to the 500 g. The larger size works out cheaper per serving if you keep it up.

What is the difference between the unflavoured and raspberry versions?

The active ingredient make-up is identical. The raspberry version additionally contains a flavouring, an acidity regulator and sweeteners; the unflavoured version contains none. The unflavoured one mixes into anything without disturbing the taste, the raspberry one is more pleasant drunk on its own. That is the only deciding factor.

When should you take it?

Straight after training on session days, before bed on rest days. Timing matters less than consistency: glutamine acts on a body pool that rebuilds slowly, not on a one-off peak. One serving a day at a set time is worth more than three irregular ones.

Should you take it if you already use whey?

The benefit becomes slight. A 30 g whey serving already supplies a far from negligible share of glutamine, and a protein-rich diet supplies several grams a day. Supplementation still makes sense during a period of unusual load or a marked calorie deficit, less so in an ordinary situation.

Can it be mixed into a hot drink?

Better to avoid it. Glutamine is not very stable in solution at high temperature and partly degrades. Mixing it into cold or lukewarm water, or into a juice, poses no problem at all, including when made up a few hours in advance.

Is glutamine suitable for vegans?

The Kyowa Quality raw material is obtained by fermentation of plant origin, with no animal input, as the manufacturer states. The point to watch is the declared manufacturing traces — gluten, eggs, fish, soya and milk — which come from the production environment and not from the formula.

Why is there vitamin B6 in a glutamine?

Because B6 is involved in amino acid metabolism, and because it is the only ingredient in this tub for which a claim is authorised in Europe. At 1.4 mg, it covers the daily reference value exactly. If you already take a multivitamin, be aware that stacking the two carries no risk at this level.

Where can you buy IO Genix Glutamine Kyowa?

The sizes and versions can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product we deliberately place at the end of our advice: when someone comes in looking for glutamine and is not yet hitting their protein quota, we show them the other aisle first. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition aisle.