Muscle growth triggers like L-Leucine are mostly included in health supplement formulations for athletes and bodybuilders but recent studies show that individuals suffering from muscle atrophy as well as those generally afflicted with debilitating muscle conditions may primarily benefit from L-Leucine supplementation. Unlike other essential amino acids which play vital roles in growth and development not only of muscles but also of body cells, L-Leucine is not naturally produced by the human bodies. Some amounts of L-Leucine are often taken from food sources which include poultry products, lean meat and some vegetables but for optimum supplementation, experts say that L-Leucine needs must be met through health supplements.
What is L-Leucine?
L-Leucine is an essential amino acid which is primarily responsible for protein synthesis. While many other amino acids exist in food sources and are produced naturally by the body, experts say that most of the growth and development activities of body cells are controlled by the compound L-Leucine. Without sufficient L-Leucine, most bodily reactions associated with protein synthesis are expected to fail.
Health benefits of using L-Leucine
There are many benefits of L-Leucine supplementation as provided in several independent studies conducted all over the world. Most of the researches involving L-Leucine are made on animal subjects but in the recent years, experts began conducting studies on actual human subjects which yielded the same positive results. Health benefits associate with L-Leucine supplementation include the following:
- It may contribute to weight loss
L-Leucine supplementation was never promoted as a potential weight loss option since weight loss is not the primary effect of the compound but in some aspects, experts say that L-Leucine may in fact contribute to weight loss. According to studies, lean muscle development, which is the main effect of L-Leucine supplementation, will only result if the adipose fats deposited in the hypodermal layer of the skin are eliminated. Thus, in order to manifest its prime benefit, L-Leucine necessarily promotes weight loss initially.
- It may reduce cholesterol levels
A certain study conducted in 2007 shows that L-Leucine supplementation among rat subjects, which were subjected to high fat diets, yielded positive results in low-density lipoprotein and cholesterol lowering. The finding was later confirmed when a group of scientists conducted studies on human subjects and found that the drug works almoste exactly the same way as that of rats, although the percentage of cholesterol decrease in the latter group was higher than that of the former.
- It may promote healthy joints
Aside from enhancing muscle growth, studies also show that L-Leucine helps increase the production of the certain hormone known as Somatropin which is responsible in the maintenance of joint health. By enhancing joint health through L-Leucine supplementation, several joint inflexibility disorders associated with aging can be prevented.
Conclusion
Since the body cannot produce the essential amino acid L-Leucine, supplementation of the compound is absolutely required for faster bone and muscle development as well as in the prevention of cholesterol-related disorders.
