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What is L-Leucine?

L-Leucine, or also known as Leucine, is an essential branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) that comprises about eighty percent of the total amino acid count in the body's protein structures. Being an essential amino acid and as one of the three BCAA's (that includes isoleucine and valine), this means everyone needs Leucine to maintain basic health, as it is not synthesized in the body. Athletes who are engaged in strenuous activity, under extreme pressure, or at high altitudes require high amounts of this nutrient either from dietary sources, supplementation, or both. L-Leucine helps in the production of energy in the body and has been found experimentally to reduce twitching and tremors in animals. People who exercise a lot, have a low-protein diet, or are seriously trying to build muscle mass should consider leucine supplementation. Although Leucine is also available in stand-alone supplemental form, it should always be taken together with the other two branched-chain amino acids, isoleucine and valine. To make the most out of this supplement, the ideal balance is at two parts L-Leucine for every two parts L-Valine and for every one part of L-Isoleucine. Good natural sources of leucine include brown rice and beans, all types of meats and poultry, cheese, nuts, whole wheat, and soy flour.

One of the main functions of Leucine is in regulating protein metabolism in the body. The availability of leucine is of critical importance in controlling the net synthesis of protein. Therapeutically, leucine, together with the other BCAAs isoleucine and valine, can be used as a means of minimizing protein loss which may lead to muscle wasting and atrophy in patients undergoing surgery. Due to the fact that it has athletic applications, L-Leucine is now widely used as an ingredient in supplements for muscle building because of its many beneficial effects on sports performance. It helps preserve lean muscle tissue, it supplies the body with energy when under stress (i.e. during intense athletic activity), it keeps muscle glycogen (glucose stored in muscle tissue used to power muscular contraction) and nitrogen balance in check, and it enhances cognitive and thinking abilities that can decline or would otherwise be clouded as physical activity becomes more intense.

In the diet, the effects of L-Leucine are profound. As the strongest of the BCAA's, L-Leucine is what's known as a "limiting nutrient", which means one must have enough L-Leucine relative to other amino acids to enable your body to make use of what you eat. Simply put, if you suffer from an L-Leucine deficiency, your body will not be able to make use of the protein that you give it, regardless of how often or how much protein you consume. Unless you have adequate L- Leucine, the money used on quality food and dietary supplements will be for nothing. To make the most of what you eat, you need two parts L-Leucine and two parts L-Valine for every one part of L-Isoleucine to get optimal results.

BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) - L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine - are undoubtedly the single most important group of amino acids for just about anyone, from world champion athletes to regular people. All the three amino acids with branching side chains work together inside the body and protect muscle or act as fuel in the biochemistry of the body. The body uses these to promote healing of injured tissues, to speed up recovery, and to protect against muscle tissue breakdown (catabolism) during exercise. As such, they are all normally recommended for people recovering from surgery, as they tend to increase the rate of healing in the body. BCAAs are one third of all the protein in muscles, therefore extremely important for developing and building muscles. Studies have shown BCAA to be helpful in other areas as well, due to what each ingredient does in its own right. For example, Leucine is necessary for wound recovery to skin and bones as well as helps protect muscles, Valine helps promote or maintain nitrogen balance (essential for muscular development), and Isoleucine helps boost energy and is necessary for forming hemoglobin.

What is L-Leucine used for and who uses it?

Leucine functions best with the amino acids isoleucine and valine in repairing muscles, regulating blood sugar, and providing the body with energy. It also improves and stimulates production of growth hormones, and helps burn visceral fat, adipose tissue located in the deepest layers of the body which are least responsive to dieting and exercise. Because of this, L-Leucine is typically taken by weight lifters and performance athletes wanting to reduce fat and maximize muscle mass. Leucine, isoleucine, and valine are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and all three of them work synergistically to help promote and speed up muscle recovery after exercise. In preventing muscle loss, Leucine is the most effective BCAA of the three because it breaks down and is converted to glucose more quickly than isoleucine and valine. This attribute of leucine of being readily converted to glucose enables it to regulate blood sugar. Increased glucose supplies prevent the body’s cannibalization of muscle for energy during intense workouts, so it is no surprise that this amino acid supplement is popular among professional body builders. Leucine also promotes the healing of bones, skin, and muscle tissue after traumatic injury, and this is why it is often recommended for those recovering from surgery.

Blood levels of L-Leucine will significantly decrease after strenuous exercise and will stay low until complete recovery. Supplementation with L-Leucine one hour before strenuous workouts can shorten the recovery time considerably by increasing muscle protein synthesis and counteracting catabolic processes. Aside from regulating blood-sugar and energy levels, Leucine helps with the growth and repair of muscle tissue (such as bones, skin and muscles), growth hormone production, and wound healing. Individuals who suffer from glucose intolerance may require higher amounts of leucine supplementation because as studies have shown, insulin deficiency results in poor utilization of leucine. Additionally, leucine can also assist to prevent the breakdown of muscle proteins that sometimes occur after trauma or severe stress.

For athletes, Leucine appears to be the most important BCAA (Branched chain amino acid), as it can affect numerous anabolic hormones, and also has an impact on preventing protein depletion and degradation. Supplementing with L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine, collectively known as BCAAs, can feed your body so that it doesn’t eat your own tissue. Aside from being required by the body, BCAAs can also be used to regenerate the skin of burn victims, because they aid in repair, growth, and development of muscle tissue, and to help treat kidney failure and liver disease as well. The combination of these three essential amino acids - L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine makes up approximately 33% of skeletal muscle in the human body, and plays an important role in protein synthesis. BCAAs are currently used primarily for supplementation among strength athletes because it promotes protein synthesis in muscle. When taken during training, BCAAs have been shown to increase both growth hormone (GH) and insulin, thus increasing anabolism and anti-catabolism. Also, unlike other amino acids, BCAAs are used to provide energy and they have been shown to decrease post-workout soreness, which translates to faster recovery times even after intense and grueling training sessions.

Since BCAAs are so crucial for the proper functioning of muscle tissue, they are very popular with endurance athletes, body builders, and others looking to simply stay healthy. BCAAs are metabolized in the muscle as opposed to the liver, and because of this many body builders and athletes use BCAA supplements while undergoing intense exercise. Even light exercise can cause BCAAs levels to drop quickly which leads to muscle breakdown (catabolism), fatigue, and a drop in testosterone levels. If you are in a building phase in any exercise routine or if you train for long periods of time, BCAAs are a good choice for you to ensure you do not use or burn the muscle you’ve worked so hard to build to get the energy you require in your strenuous activities.

How pure is your L-Leucine?

This pharmaceutical grade amino acid L-Leucine (commonly referred to as Leucine) is assayed by the manufacturer to be 99.38% product. You will receive a double sealed labeled bulk polyethylene bag containing this white powder product. It contains no fillers, taste additives, or anti-caking agents. This is one of the most important amino acids for hard training individuals and athletes. Leucine and the other branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), are metabolized in the muscle as opposed to the liver, and since they can escape liver metabolism, this means they can directly and significantly influence muscle-protein metabolism. Dietary leucine serves as a substrate for muscle metabolism during periods of cellular energy depletion especially during intense and grueling exercise, thereby sparing critical contractile and enzyme muscle protein from being depleted to supply leucine requirements. Because of this, for athletes or anyone who practices regular strenuous physical activity, Leucine supplements are really beneficial. Although there are plenty of dietary sources that contain this amino acid, people who are extremely active and exercise heavily need more Leucine in their bodies to repair and protect muscle tissues. For these reasons, one may want to consider the benefits of L-Leucine supplementation.

What is the daily suggested dose of L-Leucine?

The typically recommended dose for L-Leucine varies between 1-3 grams per single dose taken 2 or 3 times per day for a total combined daily dose of between 2-9 grams. One level half tablespoon (one and one half level teaspoons) of L-Leucine will be equivalent to about 2.5 grams. One half level tablespoon taken twice per day, especially taken about 1 hour before workouts, will yield a total daily dose of 5 grams. You can see the full bulk density/volumetric conversion chart for L-Leucine here. Again, keep in mind that to get the most out of supplementing with L-Leucine should be dosed at two parts L-Leucine for every two parts L-Valine and for every one part of L-Isoleucine.

As always, if you have concerns or questions, consult a physician or a health care professional before taking any supplements. Before taking any kind of medicine, check with your doctor to ensure that the supplement you want to take is right for you. You may be allergic or you may have a sensitive stomach which may raise the need for special instruction as far as dosage goes.

Deficiency symptoms and Potential side effects of L-Leucine

The symptoms of either deficiency or excess of leucine are similar to those of patients suffering from hypoglycemia, which may include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, depression, confusion, and irritability. An excessively high intake of leucine is believed to cause and develop pellagra, a deficiency of the vitamin niacin that causes dermatitis, diarrhea, and mental disorders. Too much leucine in the diet can disrupt liver and kidney function because it can significantly increase the amount of ammonia in the body. For this reason, people with impaired liver or kidney function should not take isoleucine without first consulting a physician, as large doses of amino acids may aggravate these conditions. Although no evidence of toxicity has been known and this BCAA is generally considered to be safe for healthy persons, keep in mind that it is always best to consult your physician first before using any dietary supplement, just to be on the safe side.

The information at Purebulk.com is NOT a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist. Do not use any dietary supplement as a replacement for conventional care, or as a reason to postpone seeing a doctor about a medical problem. Tell all your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Taste, solubility, and suggested preparation of L-Leucine

Pure bulk L-Leucine powder is not easily soluble in water and has a bitter taste. The best way to take L-Leucine powder is mixed, or blended with and suspended within a protein shake. As discussed above, all supplements of L-leucine should ideally be balanced with supplements of L-isoleucine and L-valine at the same time. Dosage of the amino acid supplements must always be complemented by taking a combination supplement containing the other branched side chain amino acids in the ratio - one part L-isoleucine, two parts L-leucine and two parts of L-valine.

L-Leucine is used in the following Proprietary Formulas

BioTest L-Leucine, Nitrobol, MNT LeuceMine, AllMax Nutrition Leucine, AST BCAA 4500, Cheap Supplements BCAA, Cheap Supplements Leucine, Eclipse 2000 Deluxe BCAA, Optimum BCAA, Optimum Superior Amino 2222, PrimaForce L-Leucine, SciFit BCAA AKG 1000, Source Naturals L-Leucine, Supplement Direct L-Leucine, Ultimate Nutrition Branch Chain Amino Acids, 4Ever Fit 4Ever Whey Gainer, ASN Maxabol II, Champion AdreNOl8, Champion Amino Shooter Core+, Controlled Labs Golden Finish, Core Nutritionals Core ABC, Cytogenix Laboratories CYTOCELL, CytoSport Monster Amino, Dedicated Athlete Rapid Recharge, Dymatize BCAA Complex 2200, Gaspari Nutrition SuperPump250, LA Muscle LA Whey, Met-Rx Amped ECN NOS, MHP A-Bomb, Muscle Asylum Project Mass Impact, Muscle Pharm Combat Powder, MuscleTech Anabolic Halo, MuscleTech Cell-Tech Hardcore, Universal Torrent, Universal Uni-Liver, Vitol Russian Bear, VPX BANG!, Weider Amino 6000, Xero Limits EPO-Blast, Xtreme Formulations ICE

References & Further Research

Branched-Chain Amino Acid Enriched Supplements as Therapy for Liver Disease
Altered amino acid metabolism is a hallmark of liver disease, characterized by low levels of circulating BCAAs and elevated levels of circulating aromatic amino acids, and methionine. Although overwhelming evidence indicates that the incidence of complications of liver disease increases with malnutrition, the reported impact of nutritional therapy, specifically BCAA supplementation, on outcomes in patients with liver disease has varied with the indication. Both studies found improved nutritional status associated with BCAA supplementation. On balance, BCAA supplementation appears to be associated with decreased frequency of complications of cirrhosis and improved nutritional status when prescribed as maintenance therapy

Effects of dietary leucine supplementation on exercise performance
This study, posted in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, documented the effects L-Leucine had on the performance of a group canoeists. Thirteen canoeists underwent testing before and after a 6-week training phase, using either capsulated L-Leucine (45mg) or a placebo. They were assessed on their upper body power and the time it took to reach exhaustion while rowing at 70-75% of their maximal aerobic power. During the 6-week phase upper body strength and power increased in both groups, however, power output increased significantly more in the L-Leucine group. Rowing time also increased for the L-Leucine group, from a starting time of 6.3mins up to 7.3 minutes, where as the placebo group experienced no increase in their times.

Acute effects of resistance exercise on muscle protein synthesis rate in young and elderly men and women
The Washington University School of Medicine measured the acute effects of resistance exercise on muscle protein synthesis rate, in young and elderly men and women. During the study, L-Leucine was incorporated intravenously into mixed-muscle protein in all the subjects, who then followed a 2-week resistance exercise regime. Before training the elderly subjects presented a lower rate of muscle protein synthesis than their younger counterparts, however, after the 2-week exercise regime, the rate of muscle protein synthesis had increased to a comparable rate in all subjects. In addition to this, the elderly subjects presented a marked decrease in whole body protein breakdown. These findings demonstrate an obvious benefit of L-Leucine as a muscle preservative but also as a supplement that could enhance muscle-building capabilities due to the increased rate of protein synthesis. In addition to this, one could assume that due to that increased rate, the recovery of an athlete would also be aided.

L-Leucine for International Customers

We have the most economical shipping costs & labeling practices for International orders. You can see our shipping costs here. Also, please note, that anything in a 1.5kg package can be shipped within a single flat rate envelope, however our shopping cart mistakenly displays 2 envelopes. Go ahead and ship the order, and you will notice that it only charges you the cost of 1 anyway. Look at the shipping costs tab above to see for yourself how you can calculate these charges.

Buying L-Leucine Bulk or Wholesale

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