Research
Macro partitioning
Supplementation with Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), specifically leucine (2-4 g/day), may help ameliorate muscle loss in cancer by promoting protein synthesis, though long-term effects on muscle mass require further investigation.
BCAA supplements, particularly those high in leucine (2-4g/day), may support muscle protein synthesis in cancer patients. However, they are not a standalone solution for gaining muscle mass and should be part of a broader nutritional strategy including adequate total protein and energy.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Current evidence suggests that BCAAs might help to ameliorate muscle loss in cancer, although future investigations in the efficacy of BCAAs alone in different cancer types and the effects on glucose metabolism are needed.
Why this rating
Studies show increased protein synthesis, but long-term muscle mass gains are not consistently demonstrated.
Source
Nutrition interventions to treat low muscle mass in cancer
Carla M. Prado et al. · Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle · 2020
DOI 10.1002/jcsm.12525
narrative_reviewCited 371×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Fish oil and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) supplementation (2.0-2.2 g/day EPA and 1.5 g/day DHA) can help preserve skeletal muscle and reduce intramuscular adipose tissue in cancer patients, particularly those with advanced lung or pancreatic cancer.Good
- Nutrition interventions targeting 25-30 kcal/kg/day energy and 1.0-1.5 g/kg/day protein intake can prevent or attenuate low muscle mass (MM) in cancer patients, though current evidence is limited by short intervention durations and lack of oncology-specific study designs.Moderate
- β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation (3 g/day) may help improve body composition in cancer patients, particularly those with smaller initial weight loss, by minimizing protein degradation.Moderate
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