The Importance of Leucine Confirmed

Leucine from whey activates muscle protein synthesis

The importance of leucine, one of the branched-chain amino acids, continues to emerge.

Researchers from the University of Illinois examined the impact of meals containing different amounts of leucine on the time course and magnitude of muscle protein synthesis. In the first set of experiments, it was shown that ingestion of a meal containing 20% of whey protein resulted in peak blood leucine levels after 45 minutes, and they stayed elevated for 180 minutes after ingestion. Leucine levels in the blood were correlated with the activation of key elements in muscle that stimulate protein synthesis. When leucine was highest, muscle protein synthesis peaked, and when leucine dropped to normal levels, protein synthesis decreased.

In a second series of experiments, whey protein was compared to wheat protein at varying levels of total protein intake. Regardless of background protein intake, whey protein resulted in greater increases in blood leucine and greater increases in muscle protein synthesis.

The bottom line from these experiments is that blood levels of leucine is a key factor in turning on protein synthesis. Whey protein is a high-quality source of leucine that efficiently elevates blood levels of leucine and muscle protein synthesis.

Reference: Journal of Nutrition; June 2009, Vol. 139, No. 6, 1103-9. (Electronic Publication April 29, 2009).

Summer Is Almost Here! *Ten Ways To Get Skinny*

1. Stay away from desserts – they are the enemy.

2. Throw away all your breads, pasta, potatoes, etc. (Maybe just cut down a bit.)

3. Drink 6-10 glasses of good water per day.

4. The portion of your food should fit in the palm of your hand. (Big hands are a plus here.)

5. Eat some protein with your meals.

6. Use lean proteins such as: turkey, fish and chicken.

7. Fall in love with fruits and vegetables.

8. Snack on protein when in between meals.

9. Do not eat when emotional. It can lead to many things!

10. Get your fats from olive oil, avocados, etc.

Dr. Moulas on Building Strong Bones Part IV

• Maintain proper bone position and thereby reduce abnormal biomechanical stress through regular chiropractic care.
• Reduce excessive protein and fat and eliminate junk food.
• Increase the amount of green, leafy vegetables, seeds, and whole, fresh foods.
• Take Cal Apatite to insure complete bone nourishment.
• Engage in some type of regular exercise.

Five Exercise Myths

1. Never drink while exercising. This was popular with the old time boxers. Drinking water helps bath the blood cells, and help them circulate.

2. Eat sugar before exercise to increase your energy. Bad idea! Sugar increases insulin, and gets stored in your organs.

3. Don’t eat before you swim. This one doesn’t work, because once you start exercising, circulation to the intestines shuts down. Blood is diverted to the muscles.

4. Use salt tabs to decrease fatigue. Salt tabs are made of solid brine, and when resting on the stomach walls can cause nausea and vomiting. Bad idea, skip the salt tabs.

5. Extra protein increases strength. Momma is wrong again! Your body has reserves of protein and can only digest small amounts per meal. Extra protein can be a big waste of money. The kidneys and liver get overworked also.