Preventing muscle wasting with Leucin

Scott Birdby Scott Bird | December 12, 2005
Filed in Diet and Nutrition , News , studies | 3 comments

It’s been known for some time that muscle tends to waste away as we get older (over the age of 40, people start to lose up to 2% per year). A team of scientists at the INRAs Human Nutrition Research Centre in Auvergne has demonstrated that this loss - at least in rats - is prevented with sufficent Leucin supplementation.

So what is Leucin? Leucin is one of the essential amino acids (essential as the body needs it but doesn’t produce it directly). As it’s found in all protein foods, it isn’t exactly difficult to come by. In fact, bodybuilders have been taking protein supplements with leucin for years. The study, however, focuses on the effects of muscle aging - and recommends, among other things, up to 9 or 10 grams per day (the average in the US is around 4 or 5) to reproduce the results shown.

For a little more detail, the findings by Lydie Combaret and colleagues were published in the December issue of the Journal of Physiology (vol 569, issue 2, pp 489-499).


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Comments

1

Those interested in the study/leucine may also find the following information (not muscle-aging specific) from TG Anthony (one of the most prominent leucine researchers) interesting - these are her words:

“1. Leucine behaves as a signaling molecule to jump-start the translational machinery to make protein.
2. Leucine’s effects are transient, lasting about 2h after intake. This is certainly because balanced substrate (the other AAs) becomes limiting without subsequent food intake.
3. Leucine’s effects are most prominent in muscle. Liver does not respond similarly to oral intake of leucine.
4. Leucine alone does not a protein make. What I mean by this is that while leucine can turn on the translation machinery, there still must be an adequate supply of amino acids available to continue to make protein.

So, whether or not leucine can further boost an already anabolic situation is unclear. Certainly having enough is important, but supplementing very high amounts may be of no additional benefit. The further concern is that chronically taking leucine in high amounts without good reason, so to speak, may actually create an AA imbalance, which would result in loss of muscle.”

her papers are referenced in the above leucine/aging study.

hope that’s useful.

Posted by: john y | December 12, 2005 3:11 PM

2

Also found this interesting study, I can post the actual dosing used if anyone is interested:

“The combined ingestion of protein and free leucine with carbohydrate increases post-exercise muscle protein synthesis in vivo in male subjects”

“…In the CHO+PRO+leucine trial, whole-body net protein balance was significantly greater compared to values observed in the CHO+PRO and CHO…”

[Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab : Pubmed ID=15562251]

Posted by: john y | December 13, 2005 3:06 AM

3

The thing I find most interesting with all of this is not the maintenance/enhancement of muscle size so much as the muscle repair benefits. Something I’ll certainly keep an eye on.

Posted by: scott | December 13, 2005 1:38 PM

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