Glutamine alpha-ketoglutarate

Amino-acidGlutamine salt

What is it

Glutamine alpha-ketoglutarate (GKG) is a compound combining the amino acid glutamine and the Krebs cycle intermediate alpha-ketoglutarate, marketed for sport recovery, gut support, and energy production.

Evidence for 1 use

AI-assisted evidence assessment — talk to your doctor before relying on any single supplement.

Sport recovery and gut support

Mixed Evidence

Glutamine has mixed evidence for sport benefits; GKG-specific clinical evidence is sparse.

How it works

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in plasma and a key substrate for immune cells, enterocytes, and protein synthesis. Alpha-ketoglutarate is a TCA cycle intermediate that participates in nitrogen handling and ATP generation. The combined salt theoretically supports both protein metabolism and energy production. Clinical evidence for GKG specifically is limited; trials of glutamine alone show modest benefits in certain critical illness contexts.

Dosage

No RDA. Sport doses are 5-15 g/day. DSLD does not report a median.

When and how to take it

No timing baseline established. Sport users often dose around training; gut-support protocols use divided daily doses.

1 commercial form

Compare the main delivery options and what they’re best suited for.

Powder

Common form.

Standard amino acid salt absorption.

Safety

Generally well tolerated at studied doses. Long-term safety data for GKG specifically are limited.

Who should be cautious

Liver or kidney impairment: amino acid metabolism considerations apply. Pregnancy: insufficient data.

Interactions

No significant clinical interactions reported. Glutamine in certain ICU contexts has shown safety concerns; outpatient sport use does not appear to share these.

Frequently asked questions

Is GKG better than plain glutamine?⌄

There is no convincing comparative evidence that GKG outperforms plain glutamine.

Will it help my workouts?⌄

Effects, if any, are likely modest. Whole-protein and creatine remain better-supported sport supplements.

References

Glutamine alpha-ketoglutarate on NIH DSLD (US supplement label database) — NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database link

Research on Glutamine alpha-ketoglutarate (PubMed search) — PubMed link

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Evidence-based·How we grade evidence

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This page is educational, not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Evidence grades are AI-assisted assessments — talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on medications, or managing a chronic condition.