If you have a problem with your digestive tract it can be a major leak in your structural dam. This is because the health of the lining of your GI tract gets first dibs on structural nutrients, a survival system of nutrient distribution. Because many cells lining your digestive tract have a high need for glutamine, both for structure and energy, the need for this nutrient can go up dramatically if the GI tract is struggling. Muscle proteins will be taken apart in order to provide nourishment for the GI tract. Furthermore, a struggling digestive system may not be able to digest protein very well, creating further deficiency.