Glycine

Marek Glycine is a single-ingredient L-glycine powder built around 5 grams per serving. It's designed for evening use to support relaxation, restful sleep, healthy thermoregulation, and glutathione production — the body's primary endogenous antioxidant pathway.‡

A naturally sweet amino acid that dissolves cleanly into water or chamomile tea. No flavors, sweeteners, fillers, dyes, or binders added.

The interesting thing about glycine is that it doesn't make you feel sedated per se. It works through a different mechanism — by supporting the body's natural pre-sleep thermoregulation.‡

When you fall asleep, your core body temperature drops by roughly 0.5–1°C. That drop isn't incidental; it's actively orchestrated by the circadian system and is one of the key physiological signals for sleep onset. Ingested glycine appears to act on NMDA receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus — the brain's master clock — triggering peripheral vasodilation. Blood vessels in the hands and feet dilate, the body releases heat, and the resulting drop in core temperature smooths the transition into sleep.‡

This mechanism is well-described in animal studies (Kawai et al., 2015) and is consistent with small human trials showing that ~3 g of glycine before bed improves subjective sleep quality, shortens sleep onset, and reduces next-day fatigue (Yamadera et al., 2007; Bannai & Kawai, 2012). The Marek protocol provides 5 g per scoop, which gives comfortable headroom over the doses used in those trials.‡

References:

• Kawai et al., Neuropsychopharmacology, 2015 — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4397399
• Bannai & Kawai, Front Neurol, 2012 — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3328957/

Glutathione is the body's primary endogenous antioxidant — a tripeptide built from three amino acids: cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. Most discussion of glutathione synthesis focuses on cysteine But glycine availability matters too, and emerging research suggests glycine supply can become a meaningful constraint in older adults and in people under chronic oxidative stress.‡

By providing 5 g of supplemental L-glycine, Marek Glycine helps ensure substrate availability on the glycine side of the glutathione synthesis equation — useful as a complement to dietary protein intake during periods of recovery, training, or demand.‡

No, though the two are related. Collagen is a structural protein; glycine is one of the amino acids collagen is built from — roughly one third of collagen is made up of glycine.

Marek Glycine provides 5 grams of isolated L-glycine per serving — more glycine than most collagen powders deliver, in a single-ingredient form, without any additional flavorings, or sweeteners typical of collagen products.

Five grams comfortably covers the range used in human glycine-and-sleep trials (typically around 3 grams pre-bed) while providing meaningful substrate for the daytime physiological roles like glutathione production. It also delivers in a single scoop, which makes consistent daily use simple.‡

Higher doses (10–15 g and above) appear in some clinical-research contexts. The aim of 5 g is daily compatibility — a dose you'll actually take every night, mixed into water or tea, rather than one you skip because it's complicated.

Mix one scoop (5 g) into water or chamomile tea once daily at bedtime — roughly 30 to 60 minutes before sleep. That window gives glycine time to be absorbed and reach the brain, where the thermoregulatory effects can support a smoother transition into sleep.‡

A few practical notes:

• Cool, room-temperature, or warm water/tea all work — glycine dissolves cleanly into any of them. Skip anything boiling to prevent protein degradation.
• The taste is naturally sweet. Glycine, despite being a simple amino acid, has a distinctly sweet flavor profile, so it doesn't need added sugar, flavor, or sweeteners to be palatable.
• It can be used during the day if you want broader glutathione-production support, but evening use is typically recommended.

People often report falling asleep more easily and waking more rested within the first one to two weeks — though this varies and isn't universal. Unlike a sedative, glycine doesn't produce a "knocked-out" sensation; the experience is closer to a smoother, less effortful transition into sleep.‡

Glutathione-production effects aren't perceptible day-to-day. That side of glycine's role is foundational and works at the level of substrate availability, not subjective sensation.

If you don't notice anything in the first week, give it more time and check that the timing (30–60 minutes before bed) is consistent. If sleep difficulty is significant or persistent, talk to your healthcare provider — glycine is a supportive dietary supplement, not a treatment for diagnosed sleep disorders.

Yes — Marek Glycine pairs particularly well with the evening side of the modular Marek formulary.

• Mag² + Boron and Marek Glycine are designed to be stacked. Mag² + Boron already provides some glycine (from its bisglycinate chelates) plus magnesium for neuromuscular and relaxation support; adding standalone glycine brings the total glycine into a sleep-relevant range without doubling up on magnesium.‡

Consult your healthcare provider before starting Marek Glycine if you:

• Take clozapine (Clozaril) or other medications used in the management of schizophrenia. Glycine has been reported to interact with these medications in clinically relevant ways.
• Have kidney disease or any condition affecting renal function.
• Have liver disease, especially with a history of hepatic encephalopathy.
• Are pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive.
• Take prescription medications, especially those affecting sleep, mood, or cognition.
• Have a diagnosed sleep disorder under active management.

Marek Glycine is a dietary supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you're managing a condition or under medical supervision, work with your provider to determine whether glycine fits your protocol.