Glutathione 101
Glutathione is an antioxidant peptide found in most living organisms, including humans, animals, plants and fungi. Its job is to fight oxidative stress and prevent free radicals from damaging the body.
Glutathione is popular among enhanced bodybuilders because it protects and regenerates the liver and the kidneys, two organs that are likely to suffer some damage during an AAS or SARM cycle.
Unfortunately, Glutathione has a very poor oral bioavailability, so it must be injected for best results.
However, taking Glutathione is not always necessary. The body already makes this antioxidant on its own, and we can maximize its production by taking N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), which is a precursor to it.
Other supplements that can increase Glutathione production are Glycine and L-Glutamic Acid. (Cysteine, Glycine and Glutamic Acid are the 3 amino acids that make up the Glutathione molecule).
THE BENEFITS OF GLUTATHIONE
Glutathione plays so many roles in the human body that trying to explain its benefits in an organized way can be quite difficult. But all the benefits of this amazing peptide come from the fact that it fights OXIDATIVE STRESS.
Oxidative stress occurs when there is an excess amount of free radicals in the body. This results in DNA and cell damage, and is linked to cancer, inflammation, brain damage, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attack, depression and other serious health problems.
By fighting oxidative stress, Glutathione decreases the chances of all these (and other) health problems occurring, and manages to:
- Bring down systemic inflammation
- Promote longevity
- Improve mental health
- Prevent neurodegeneration
- Fight viral and bacterial infections (hence why NAC, a precursor to Glutathione, was found to be effective against Covid).
- Improve digestive health
- Improving immune function
- Protect the heart
- Improve skin quality
- Prevent eyesight deterioration
- And more…
But as nice as all these benefits are, they are not the reason why bodybuilders are drawn to Glutathione and to the supplements that increase its production.
Glutathione is an important tool in bodybuilding because it protects the liver and the kidneys, which are damaged by AAS and SARM use.
In the liver, glutathione gets rid of all the toxins that damage it and promotes its regeneration. There have been reports of advanced enhanced bodybuilders who had sky-high liver enzymes (the leading indicator of liver damage), and who managed to bring those enzymes down to a normal level in just a few days after a single Glutathione injection.
Glutathione itself is, hands-down, the most powerful compound a bodybuilder can use to take care of his liver during or after a cycle.
In the kidneys, Glutathione has been shown to reverse oxidative stress and improve kidney function. The kidneys are rarely as compromised by AAS / SARM use as the liver is, but the kidneys do not have the regenerative properties of the liver, so protecting them from all possible damage is KEY.
THE SIDE-EFFECTS OF GLUTATHIONE
This antioxidant is free of negative, dangerous side-effects if used properly. However, abusing it can cause diarrhea, flatulence, and other digestive disorders.
Another side-effect of Glutathione is skin whitening. This is not a dangerous side-effect, and to many people it is more of a benefit than an adverse reaction. However, it takes time for Glutathione to whiten the skin, so using it for short periods of time to heal the liver is unlikely to have a significant impact on skin tone.
HOW TO TAKE GLUTATHIONE
If you can’t find injectable Glutathione or you are simply not willing to pin it, your best option is to take 1 to 2g of NAC a day during and after a cycle to minimize organ damage during a cycle and to reverse the damage after the cycle.
Other supplements you can take to further increase Glutathione production are L-Glutamic Acid at 5g a day, Glycine at 5g a day, Alpha Lipoic Acid at 1g a day, Selenium at SAM-e at 500mg a day.
However, if you want to skip all of that and go straight for the prize, injectable Glutathione is where it’s at. You will get much better results with less effort, by injecting 500mg subcutaneously twice a week during the cycle.
If you don’t want to inject so many times, you can simply take NAC at 1-2g a day during the cycle to minimize the damage, and then pin Glutathione at 500mg twice a week for a couple of weeks post-cycle to reverse all possible damage.
