Great for building muscle and increasing endurance
Leucine Benefits & Uses
Updated Jul. 29th, 2024 | Read Time: 2 Minutes | What You Will Learn:
- Key Health Benefits of Leucine & BCAA's
- Leucine Supplement Varieties & Combinations
- Important Information & Potential Side Effects of Leucine
- Nutritional Information
- Reader Comments (4)
The amino acids that the body cannot produce, and need to be taken in through the diet or supplementation, are called essential. Leucine is one of these essential amino acids. Leucine provides many benefits because it is also a member of the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) group, along with isoleucine and valine. BCAAs act as a fuel source for the muscles because they are the only amino acids that are broken down directly in muscle tissue. They prevent the muscle breakdown that normally occurs during strenuous exercise, resulting in increased endurance and muscle strength.
Key Health Benefits of Leucine & BCAA's
Other tissues that BCAAs help to repair are the bones and skin. BCAAs regulate blood sugar by producing glycogen, the storage form of sugar in muscle tissue. Leucine increases the production of the growth hormone. Growth hormone is sometimes referred to as the fountain of youth because it keeps the body “young” by repairing and building tissue. Levels of growth hormone naturally decline as you age and an increase in growth hormone levels protects against the development of age-related conditions. Leucine, and the other BCAAs, can be supplemented for the following conditions: muscle wasting, recovery from surgery, broken bones, and skin diseases and can be used to improve muscle growth during exercise.
Leucine Supplement Varieties & Combinations
The biologically active form of leucine is L-leucine. Branched-chain supplements are the safest way to use leucine. They are available in a variety of ratios. The optimal ratio for normal use is 2:1:1 (leucine: isoleucine: valine). BCAA supplements should be taken half an hour before workouts.
Important Information & Potential Side Effects of Leucine
The branched-chain amino acids must be taken together. High doses of BCAA can cause hypoglycemia and diabetics and individuals with hypoglycemia should use BCAAs with caution. High leucine intake may cause low niacin (pellagra). High leucine intake increases ammonia levels and may be harmful to individuals with kidney disease.
I had fogotten that leucine was an essential amino acid...I think that there is an acronym fo remembering which of the amino acids are essential so I will have to go back and review that because I think that this information is good to know. Anyway, I can see why leucine is essential with key roles for both blood sugar regulation as well as the production of growth hormone!
And, I did not know that optimal ratio for normal BCAA use is 2:1:1 (leucine: isoleucine: valine); I'll keep this in mind when thinking about my own diet becaue healthy muscle benefits everyone. Thank you for teaching me this little key fact :)
Hello Rachel,
Glad to refresh your memory and help you dive deeper into the benefits of Leucine. It's important to know about and consume enough of the EAA's and in the right ratios, much like BCAA's, as you mentioned. Thank you for your comment and enjoying our articles.
Have a healthy day.
Thank you so much for this info.
As I struggle to recover and rebuild after a traumatic injury I am becoming more aware of the part that diet and supplements play.
Hello Charlie,
You're welcome, we are really glad you enjoyed this read. Thank you for sharing, we hope you're healing well and if you need any assistance in finding the right supplements for you, please connect with our knowledgeable customer service team at 1-800-526-9772 & check out our healthy recipes: https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/healthy-recipes/