Turn On Your Muscle Building Engines With Advanced Amino Acid Peptides

The branched chain amino acids, L leucine, L isoleucine, and L valine are three of the essential amino acids which have the perfect capability for acting as signalling molecules to control muscle growth. This is because the liver lacks the enzyme responsible for initiating their breakdown. Therefore, while a large amount of the other amino acids are degraded and taken up by the liver and other tissues of the gut, the BCAAs enter into peripheral circulation, where skeletal muscle tissue is relatively unscathed. It has been known for some time that consuming a complete meal stimulates protein synthesis.

The components of a meal have now been analysed in depth by research.
This research has revealed that amino acids are responsible for 80 % of the protein synthesis which occurs after feeding. It also reveals that out of all the amino acids only one is able to stimulate protein synthesis by itself; The BCAA L Leucine. Leucine also has several other functions including regulating the hormone insulin, controlling protein breakdown rates, stabilizing blood glucose levels.

How does leucine effect protein synthesis?
Protein synthesis refers to the process of constructing new proteins. It is accomplished by first copying instructions from DNA onto an mRNA molecule (transcription). Following the mRNA is taken into the cells interior and attached to complex machinery known as the Ribosome, and its accompanying ribosomal proteins. Once attached a new protein is constructed, and this process is known as translation. Protein synthesis can change rapidly during exercise, after feeding, and during fasting conditions such as when you sleep at night.

The evidence is clear that these rapid changes occur at the beginning stages of translation, known as translation initiation. Translation is controlled by a family of proteins known as initiation factors. For example they are responsible for binding mRNA to a ribosome (e.g. attaching the instructions for building a protein to the machinery responsible for building the protein). Increased leucine concentration leads to an increase in the formation of these initiation factors.

Leucine also activates a protein known as ribosomal protein S6 (S6), which actually stimulates production of more initiation factors and other ribosomal proteins. In other words S6 increases the capacity of a cell to produce proteins.

Leucine does not directly stimulate any of these processes. Instead increased concentrations of leucine activate a molecule known as Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). This cellular machine ends up activating the initiation factors and increasing a cells capacity to increase protein synthesis.

The amazing thing is that mTOR is sensitive to leucine concentration, growth factors released from exercise, energy status in the cell, and insulin concentrations. Therefore for protein synthesis to act optimally it requires an interaction between all of these factors.

In summary increased leucine concentration activates mTOR, which activates protein synthesis, and increases a cells capacity to produce new proteins.

Summary: Leucine > mTOR >Protein Synthesis > Skeletal Muscular Growth

What is Leucine’s Role in regulating protein degradation (breakdown)?
Leucine’s primary role appears to be increasing protein synthesis. But recall that muscle growth is the difference between protein synthesis and breakdown (degradation). Leucine appears to decrease protein breakdown. For example leucine has lowered markers of muscle damage in both resistance training and endurance conditions. There are a number of theories as to why this occurs.One theory is that leucine can directly decrease pathways which initiate the breakdown of tissues. There is a great deal of evidence for this as well. In summary leucine probably acts through both indirect and direct mechanisms. I should also bring up another point. Muscle tissue is made of 80 % BCAAs, and these are preferentially broken down ( in terms of amino acids) during exercise. Thus, by supplying an outside source of BCAAs such as leucine, you can spare your own muscular stores.

How do Diets Rich in Leucine Stimulate Net Positive Protein Balance?
As stated protein balance must be positive for muscle growth to occur.

Protein Balance is summarized by the following equation:
Protein balance = Protein synthesis – Protein degradation

During the course of a day human beings constantly cycle from positive to negative protein balances, and these correspond to post food consumption and fasting conditions. Post food consumption periods last 2-3 hours after a meal when nutrients and amino acids are rich in the blood stream. If an individual has consumed a leucine rich meal, then they can maximally stimulate protein synthesis during this time frame. Once nutrients lower to fasting levels, individuals enter into a state of net protein breakdown.For this reason bodybuilders first approach to maintaining a positive protein balance is to consume a leucine rich meal every two to three hours, thereby avoiding catabolic states. Muscle growth however is a small process when viewed from a day to day basis, and on average most people neither gain nor loose muscle tissue in a single day.

How much leucine should an individual consume in a given day?
The problem here is that protein requirements are hardly established, especially for athletes. For example if you look at the RDA for leucine, you roughly need 2-4 grams a day of it. But this is based on leucine’s function as a building block for proteins. The situation is much more complex than this, because leucine has many other metabolic roles. In fact in non exercising individuals leucine’s metabolic use has been calculated to be up to 12 grams daily. Yet, it appears that its function as a regulator of protein synthesis, and breakdown are proportional to its levels in the diet. It’s important to understand that leucine is about 10 % of high quality proteins.Thus if we only look at leucine’s role in protein synthesis, we see that the standard gram per pound of bodyweight of protein for a bodybuilder amounts to at least 20 grams of leucine per day. We have also provided evidence that protein needs may be higher than this.

How much leucine is optimal in a single serving?
Protein synthesis appears to be fully restored at around 2.5 grams, but can most likely be maximized at 3 to 4 grams per serving. If calculating based on bodyweight, the highest amount would be 0.048 grams of leucine per kg of bodyweight per serving. Assuming that most high quality proteins such as whey and meats are approximately 10 % leucine then roughly 30 to 40 grams of protein will meet the 3-4 gram leucine standard in a single setting, which is roughly 150 to 220 calories. If consuming an essential amino acid supplement one serving provides around 3gms of pure L Leucine. In summary however, leucine intake per day for athletes may be optimized at 20-30 grams a day, but in reality it is the timing, and pattern of leucine ingestion that is critical.

Supplementing and timing for maximum Anabolic effect.
If you administer leucine alone, protein synthesis rises for only 30 minutes, but if you provide other essential amino acids then protein synthesis remains elevated for at least 2 hours. Thus, they play a supporting role. Also leucine administered alone can lower the concentration of other amino acids, particular other BCAAs. This is because leucine stimulates the enzyme which degrades all BCAAs. If given in the absence of other BCAAs, they will lower in concentration, and protein synthesis will lower with their decrease.

Advanced forms of Leucine
Research suggest that peptide bonded forms of amino acids offer superior absorption and carry additional metabolic benefits when it comes to activating protein synthesis in the body. It makes sense to cover all bases when supplementing with L Leucine by ensuring the supplement contains not only free form L leucine, but also some advanced peptides. L-leucine-ketoisocaproic acid calcium is a peptide made up of L leucine bound to alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium. KIC is a branched-chain keto acid (BCKA) that has been shown to have anti-catabolic effects – meaning it can help prevent muscle loss. BCKAs also aid in a muscle's energy production, while also helping to remove ammonia that can cause fatigue after intense training.

Quicker uptake equals a faster anabolic response.
The faster we can deliver the L leucine into our hungry muscle cells the better the anabolic effect. L leucine Gluconate is free form L leucine bound to the the ion form of Gluconic acid. Gluconic acid is an organic compound with molecular formula C6H12O7 and condensed structural formula HOCH2(CHOH)4COOH. In aqueous solution at neutral pH, gluconic acid forms the gluconate ion. The salts of gluconic acid are known as "gluconates". Gluconic acid and gluconate salts occur widely in nature because such species arise from the oxidation of glucose. What this basically means is L leucine Gluconate ( Leuconate ) could possibly be one of the most anabolic forms of l leucine because the faster the response the faster the anabolic switches are turned on activating the powerful mTOR factors.

Essential Amino Acids for total synergy.

It is recommended to include the key essential amino acids (EAAs) to optimize total Leucine uptake and prevent enzyme reactions prevent the other BCAAs from being absorbed. Aim for a ratio of 2:1:1 for the Branch Chain Amino acids plus one or preferably two advanced peptide forms of L leucine e.g L-leucine-ketoisocaproic acid calcium and L Leucine Gluconate.

Summary:
L leucine appears to be one of the key players in anabolism and there is substantial scientific research to validate it’s efficacy.
Run a search for “Leucine mtor” on www.pubmed.gov for a closer look at the research.
Leucine supplementation may well be a natural bodybuilders dream come true.

Leukadron has been formulated based on the research above to provide a high level of amino acids namely the BCAA's and combine this with the essentials.
For further information on Leukadron click here