Leucine With Resistance Training for the Treatment of Sarcopenia

Aging is associated with a progressive loss of muscle leading to increasing frailty, weakness, and loss of functional independence. Sarcopenia is a specific muscle-wasting disorder commonly described as an age-related loss in lean muscle tissue. It is estimated that 25% to 50% of men and women 65 years of age and older are sarcopenic. Resistance training is the most effective exercise for slowing the rate of loss of muscle mass and maintaining or improving muscle strength. Several studies have indicated that branched-chain amino acids, especially leucine, regulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis. The purpose of this article is to present the available research on the effectiveness of leucine and it metabolite beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate on muscle protein synthesis in addition to resistance training for the treatment of sarcopenia.