EricMM
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Well, this is a complicated subject. In celebration of our 25% off all amino acids sale I wanted to open up a volatile topic. I am not a fan of using BCAA's during cardio. I think during a heavy lift then fine but
Does the addition of Leucine reduce or increase fat loss? Depriving the body of Leucine seems to burn fat. Is this something that can be modulated short term?
I've seen studies showing that Leucine is anabolic in fat cells and also those that show Leucine to be good when dieting. Leucine is anabolic which means that it can certainly seem to cause us to increase the amount of fat cells.
What do you think?
Age (Dordr). 2012 Apr;34(2):371-87. doi: 10.1007/s11357-011-9246-0. Epub 2011 Apr 7.
Differential effect of long-term leucine supplementation on skeletal muscle and adipose tissue in old rats: an insulin signaling pathway approach.
Zeanandin G1, Balage M, Schneider SM, Dupont J, Hébuterne X, Mothe-Satney I, Dardevet D.
Author information
Abstract
Leucine acts as a signal nutrient in promoting protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue via mTOR pathway activation, and may be of interest in age-related sarcopenia. However, hyper-activation of mTOR/S6K1 has been suggested to inhibit the first steps of insulin signaling and finally promote insulin resistance. The impact of long-term dietary leucine supplementation on insulin signaling and sensitivity was investigated in old rats (18 months old) fed a 15% protein diet supplemented (LEU group) or not (C group) with 4.5% leucine for 6 months. The resulting effects on muscle and fat were examined. mTOR/S6K1 signaling pathway was not significantly altered in muscle from old rats subjected to long-term dietary leucine excess, whereas it was increased in adipose tissue. Overall glucose tolerance was not changed but insulin-stimulated glucose transport was improved in muscles from leucine-supplemented rats related to improvement in Akt expression and phosphorylation in response to food intake. No change in skeletal muscle mass was observed, whereas perirenal adipose tissue mass accumulated (+45%) in leucine-supplemented rats. A prolonged leucine supplementation in old rats differently modulates mTOR/S6K pathways in muscle and adipose tissue. It does not increase muscle mass but seems to promote hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adipose tissue that did not result in insulin resistance.
Diabetes. 2010 Jan;59(1):17-25. doi: 10.2337/db09-0929. Epub 2009 Oct 15.
Leucine deprivation decreases fat mass by stimulation of lipolysis in white adipose tissue and upregulation of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in brown adipose tissue.
Cheng Y1, Meng Q, Wang C, Li H, Huang Z, Chen S, Xiao F, Guo F.
Author information
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
White adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) play distinct roles in adaptation to changes in nutrient availability, with WAT serving as an energy store and BAT regulating thermogenesis. We previously showed that mice maintained on a leucine-deficient diet unexpectedly experienced a dramatic reduction in abdominal fat mass. The cellular mechanisms responsible for this loss, however, are unclear. The goal of current study is to investigate possible mechanisms.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:
Male C57BL/6J mice were fed either control, leucine-deficient, or pair-fed diets for 7 days. Changes in metabolic parameters and expression of genes and proteins related to lipid metabolism were analyzed in WAT and BAT.
RESULTS:
We found that leucine deprivation for 7 days increases oxygen consumption, suggesting increased energy expenditure. We also observed increases in lipolysis and expression of beta-oxidation genes and decreases in expression of lipogenic genes and activity of fatty acid synthase in WAT, consistent with increased use and decreased synthesis of fatty acids, respectively. Furthermore, we observed that leucine deprivation increases expression of uncoupling protein (UCP)-1 in BAT, suggesting increased thermogenesis.
CONCLUSIONS:
We show for the first time that elimination of dietary leucine produces significant metabolic changes in WAT and BAT. The effect of leucine deprivation on UCP1 expression is a novel and unexpected observation and suggests that the observed increase in energy expenditure may reflect an increase in thermogenesis in BAT. Further investigation will be required to determine the relative contribution of UCP1 upregulation and thermogenesis in BAT to leucine deprivation-stimulated fat loss.
Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2015 Jan 1;20:796-813.
Nutritional and regulatory roles of leucine in muscle growth and fat reduction.
Duan Y1, Li F1, Liu H1, Li Y1, Liu Y1, Kong X1, Zhang Y1, Deng D1, Tang Y1, Feng Z1, Wu G1, Yin Y1.
Author information
Abstract
The metabolic roles for L-leucine, an essential branched-chain amino acid (BCAA), go far beyond serving exclusively as a building block for de novo protein synthesis. Growing evidence shows that leucine regulates protein and lipid metabolism in animals. Specifically, leucine activates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, including the 70 kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) and eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E-binding protein 1 (4EBP1) to stimulate protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue and to promote mitochondrial biogenesis, resulting in enhanced cellular respiration and energy partitioning. Activation of cellular energy metabolism favors fatty acid oxidation to CO2 and water in adipocytes, lean tissue gain in young animals, and alleviation of muscle protein loss in aging adults, lactating mammals, and food-deprived subjects. As a functional amino acid, leucine holds great promise to enhance the growth, efficiency of food utilization, and health of animals and humans.
Does the addition of Leucine reduce or increase fat loss? Depriving the body of Leucine seems to burn fat. Is this something that can be modulated short term?
I've seen studies showing that Leucine is anabolic in fat cells and also those that show Leucine to be good when dieting. Leucine is anabolic which means that it can certainly seem to cause us to increase the amount of fat cells.
What do you think?
Age (Dordr). 2012 Apr;34(2):371-87. doi: 10.1007/s11357-011-9246-0. Epub 2011 Apr 7.
Differential effect of long-term leucine supplementation on skeletal muscle and adipose tissue in old rats: an insulin signaling pathway approach.
Zeanandin G1, Balage M, Schneider SM, Dupont J, Hébuterne X, Mothe-Satney I, Dardevet D.
Author information
Abstract
Leucine acts as a signal nutrient in promoting protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue via mTOR pathway activation, and may be of interest in age-related sarcopenia. However, hyper-activation of mTOR/S6K1 has been suggested to inhibit the first steps of insulin signaling and finally promote insulin resistance. The impact of long-term dietary leucine supplementation on insulin signaling and sensitivity was investigated in old rats (18 months old) fed a 15% protein diet supplemented (LEU group) or not (C group) with 4.5% leucine for 6 months. The resulting effects on muscle and fat were examined. mTOR/S6K1 signaling pathway was not significantly altered in muscle from old rats subjected to long-term dietary leucine excess, whereas it was increased in adipose tissue. Overall glucose tolerance was not changed but insulin-stimulated glucose transport was improved in muscles from leucine-supplemented rats related to improvement in Akt expression and phosphorylation in response to food intake. No change in skeletal muscle mass was observed, whereas perirenal adipose tissue mass accumulated (+45%) in leucine-supplemented rats. A prolonged leucine supplementation in old rats differently modulates mTOR/S6K pathways in muscle and adipose tissue. It does not increase muscle mass but seems to promote hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adipose tissue that did not result in insulin resistance.
Diabetes. 2010 Jan;59(1):17-25. doi: 10.2337/db09-0929. Epub 2009 Oct 15.
Leucine deprivation decreases fat mass by stimulation of lipolysis in white adipose tissue and upregulation of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in brown adipose tissue.
Cheng Y1, Meng Q, Wang C, Li H, Huang Z, Chen S, Xiao F, Guo F.
Author information
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
White adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) play distinct roles in adaptation to changes in nutrient availability, with WAT serving as an energy store and BAT regulating thermogenesis. We previously showed that mice maintained on a leucine-deficient diet unexpectedly experienced a dramatic reduction in abdominal fat mass. The cellular mechanisms responsible for this loss, however, are unclear. The goal of current study is to investigate possible mechanisms.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:
Male C57BL/6J mice were fed either control, leucine-deficient, or pair-fed diets for 7 days. Changes in metabolic parameters and expression of genes and proteins related to lipid metabolism were analyzed in WAT and BAT.
RESULTS:
We found that leucine deprivation for 7 days increases oxygen consumption, suggesting increased energy expenditure. We also observed increases in lipolysis and expression of beta-oxidation genes and decreases in expression of lipogenic genes and activity of fatty acid synthase in WAT, consistent with increased use and decreased synthesis of fatty acids, respectively. Furthermore, we observed that leucine deprivation increases expression of uncoupling protein (UCP)-1 in BAT, suggesting increased thermogenesis.
CONCLUSIONS:
We show for the first time that elimination of dietary leucine produces significant metabolic changes in WAT and BAT. The effect of leucine deprivation on UCP1 expression is a novel and unexpected observation and suggests that the observed increase in energy expenditure may reflect an increase in thermogenesis in BAT. Further investigation will be required to determine the relative contribution of UCP1 upregulation and thermogenesis in BAT to leucine deprivation-stimulated fat loss.
Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2015 Jan 1;20:796-813.
Nutritional and regulatory roles of leucine in muscle growth and fat reduction.
Duan Y1, Li F1, Liu H1, Li Y1, Liu Y1, Kong X1, Zhang Y1, Deng D1, Tang Y1, Feng Z1, Wu G1, Yin Y1.
Author information
Abstract
The metabolic roles for L-leucine, an essential branched-chain amino acid (BCAA), go far beyond serving exclusively as a building block for de novo protein synthesis. Growing evidence shows that leucine regulates protein and lipid metabolism in animals. Specifically, leucine activates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, including the 70 kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) and eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E-binding protein 1 (4EBP1) to stimulate protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue and to promote mitochondrial biogenesis, resulting in enhanced cellular respiration and energy partitioning. Activation of cellular energy metabolism favors fatty acid oxidation to CO2 and water in adipocytes, lean tissue gain in young animals, and alleviation of muscle protein loss in aging adults, lactating mammals, and food-deprived subjects. As a functional amino acid, leucine holds great promise to enhance the growth, efficiency of food utilization, and health of animals and humans.
