What Is It & How Do I Take It?

If you’ve done research into supplements, you would have heard of leucine by now, sometimes referred to as l-leucine. Leucine is one of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and it is fast becoming the most popular form of amino acid supplementation on the market. They are essential amino acids, which means we need them, but can’t produce them - they must consumed via food or supplements. The BCAAs are very useful for recovery from training, and leucine may be the most important one.

What Does The 'L' Stand For In L-Leucine?

The 'L' stands for levo, which is latin for left. All amino acid supplements should be in the 'l' form as the they are more compatible with human biochemistry. This is because almost all amino acids in animal and plant tissue take this l-configuration as opposed to a 'D' configuration.

The Benefits of Leucine

When your body gets a high enough dose of leucine, it switches into anabolic mode, which is when you start building muscle. As it is one of the main triggers for muscle growth, it’s a very important supplement to understand and consider using with your nutrition protocols.

The other two BCAAs, iso-leucine and valine, can have a similar effect, although they are not as potent alone. Because of this, it’s very common to see them in smaller doses than leucine in mixed supplements. Leucine should always be the amino acid found in the highest quantity.

When taken throughout the day, after meals, leucine has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis over the course of the day. More leucine makes it easier to grow and maintain muscle, so whether you’re on a diet or bulking phase, adding leucine to your diet would be very beneficial.