What is the Most Important Amino Acid for Your Top Athletic Performance?
Leucine
By Drew Mulvey MS, CDN, CNS, CLT, PNL1, CISN
We all hear that we need to consume more protein, but is all protein deemed the same? Here’s a little back story.
Each protein is composed of little tiny subunits known as amino acids. There are twenty amino acids in total, 9 of which are essential. The latter are essential due to the body’s inability to produce it and needs to come from an external source. These include:
- Histidine
- Isoleucine*
- Leucine*
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Tryptophan
- Threonine
- Valine*
*Indicates that these are branched chain amino acids.
For a protein to be considered complete, all essential amino acids are required to be present in that food. This can be accomplish with foods from animal sources such as wild caught fish, grass-fed dairy products, organic meats and eggs. Plant based sources, for the most part, are not complete proteins and need to be coupled together. Here are the pairings.
- Beans and Grains
- Beans and Nuts
- Nuts/Seeds and Grains
Let’s focus on the BCAAs. These amino acids in particular are important for growth and recovery of skeletal muscle. They also contribute to proper immune function and regulating blood sugar levels. (Book) Depletion of these can lead to improper recovery, increased time away from sport and decreased strength, power and endurance.
Why am I calling out leucine?
Leucine is prominent in the skeletal muscle and in the digestive tract. It is the first amino acid the body pulls from when under stress, such as from intense exercise, underfueling, etc. Leucine has also been researched as the amino acid with the “most influence on protein synthesis.” Therefore, for proper recovery and muscle retention, ingesting adequate amounts of leucine is a critical component of the athlete’s athletic success.
How much Leucine for top performance?
There is no set amount but from studies, the range can fall between 45-55 mg/kg/d. This can range from 2.7-3.3 g for a 60 kg person. 2,3
Food Sources and Their Amounts:
- Black Beans, 1 cup: 2.035 grams
- Pumpkin Seeds, 1 cup: 3.3 grams
- Chicken Breast, Cooked (4 oz): 2.9 grams
- Turkey Breast, Cooked (4 oz): 2.8 grams
- Flank Steak, Cooked (4 oz): 2.4 grams
- Wild Caught Tuna, Canned (4 oz): 1.7 g
- Cottage Cheese: 1.4 grams
- Ground Beef, Lean 93% (4 oz): 1.8
- Peanuts Roasted (1 oz or ¼ cup): 0.5 grams
- Egg Scrambled: 0.5 grams
Put it into practice!
There are so many ways that you can get the right amounts of leucine in the diet! Try incorporating 1/2 cup of black beans with rice with 4 oz ground beef, ¼ cup pumpkin seeds with mixed veggies in a mexican bowl for dinner. That will give you about 3.2 grams of leucine per serving!
How about a little huevos rancheros with ½ cup black beans, 3 eggs, salsa, and avocado. This packs about 2.5 grams of leucine in this very meal alone!
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to meet these needs with food!
*Note, this is incredibly important after intense exercise for muscle repair. If protein powders are used, search for a protein powder with higher levels of BCAAs for proper recovery.*
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References:
Mangieri, H. Fueling Young Athletes. Champaign, IL. Human Kinetics. 2017.
Borack MS, Volpi E. Efficacy and Safety of Leucine Supplementation in the Elderly. J Nutr. 2016 Dec;146(12):2625S-2629S. doi: 10.3945/jn.116.230771. Epub 2016 Nov 9. PMID: 27934654; PMCID: PMC5118760.
Mero A. Leucine supplementation and intensive training. Sports Med. 1999 Jun;27(6):347-58. doi: 10.2165/00007256-199927060-00001. PMID: 10418071.
