Micronutrients & recovery
Supplementing mixed nutrient meals with leucine can restore or enhance muscle protein synthesis in older adults, counteracting the age-related blunting of the anabolic response.
If you are older and find that your muscles aren't growing despite eating protein, adding a leucine-rich source (like whey protein or a leucine supplement) to your regular meals might help trigger muscle growth. This is especially useful if your meals contain carbohydrates, which can blunt the protein response in older adults.
Supplementing regular mixed-nutrient meals with leucine may also enhance the muscle protein synthetic response in elders.
Why this rating
Supported by animal and human studies (Rieu et al.) showing restoration of synthesis.
Source
Dietary protein recommendations and the prevention of sarcopenia
Douglas Paddon‐Jones et al. · Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care · 2008
DOI 10.1097/mco.0b013e32831cef8b
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- Ingesting 25–30 g of high-quality protein per meal maximally stimulates muscle protein synthesis in both young and older adults, whereas doses below ~20 g are insufficient to trigger this response in the elderly.Good
- Physical activity, specifically aerobic exercise, can restore the sensitivity of aging muscle to insulin and protein stimuli, counteracting the age-related blunting of muscle protein synthesis.Good
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