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Am J Clin Nutr (March 25, 2009). doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.26668
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© 2009 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

Long-term leucine supplementation does not increase muscle mass or strength in healthy elderly men1,2,3

Suzanne Verhoeven, Kristof Vanschoonbeek, Lex B Verdijk, René Koopman, Will KWH Wodzig, Paul Dendale and Luc JC van Loon

1 From the Department of Human Movement Sciences, Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute, Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands (SV, KV, LBV, RK, and LJCvL); the Department of Clinical Chemistry, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands (WKWHW); and the Rehabilitation and Health Centre, Virga Jesse Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium (PD).

2 Leucine was kindly provided by Ajinomoto Co, Inc.

3 Reprints not available. Address correspondence to LJC van Loon, Department of Human Movement Sciences, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, Netherlands. E-mail: l.vanloon{at}hb.unimaas.nl.

ABSTRACT

Background: It has been reported that the blunted muscle protein synthetic response to food intake in the elderly can be normalized by increasing the leucine content of a meal.

Objective: The objective was to assess the effect of 3 mo of leucine supplementation on muscle mass and strength in healthy elderly men.

Design: Thirty healthy elderly men with a mean (±SD) age of 71 ± 4 y and body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2) of 26.1 ± 0.5 were randomly assigned to either a placebo-supplemented (n = 15) or leucine-supplemented (n = 15) group. Leucine or placebo (2.5 g) was administered with each main meal during a 3-mo intervention period. Whole-body insulin sensitivity, muscle strength (one-repetition maximum), muscle mass (measured by computed tomography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), myosin heavy chain isoform distribution, and plasma amino acid and lipid profiles were assessed before, during, and/or after the intervention period.

Results: No changes in skeletal muscle mass or strength were observed over time in either the leucine- or placebo-supplemented group. No improvements in indexes of whole-body insulin sensitivity (oral glucose insulin sensitivity index and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance), blood glycated hemoglobin content, and/or the plasma lipid profile were observed.

Conclusion: Long-term leucine supplementation (7.5 g/d) does not augment skeletal muscle mass or strength and does not improve glycemic control or the blood lipid profile in healthy elderly males. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00807508.

Received for publication July 9, 2008. Accepted for publication February 24, 2009.






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