Leucine In Older Athletes

March 13, 2014March 9, 2014drstaceynaito 1 Comment

A couple of months ago I was speaking with Ian Lauer who had just wrapped up the January 23rd edition of Physique Star Radio (Link can be found here: http://www.rxmuscle.com/physique-star-radio/physique-star-radio-2/10058-physique-star-radio-01-23-14-ian-and-dean-welcome-ifbb-pro-jason-postono-the-show-plus-jerry-brainum-is-back.html), and noted his excitement over the effects of leucine in maintaining muscle mass in older athletes. Jerry Brainum had highlighted the importance of leucine in protein synthesis pathways and had also mentioned the challenges of the older athlete in maintaining muscle mass due to early depletion of leucine stores.

In response to this information, and also since I am getting closer to 50, I decided to experiment a bit with bumping up my leucine intake. I went from 2 grams of leucine up to 8 grams per day, and have kept this up for about six weeks. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, but it seems that I am more solid and defined since bumping up my leucine intake. I haven’t changed my training intensity very much either. I am seriously considering boosting my leucine intake more as well, perhaps by another 2 to 4 grams to see if that makes a difference.

If you are considering adding leucine to your regimen, be sure to time it so that you ingest it when you take in a protein-rich meal. This will optimize protein synthesis in muscle tissue and enhance the anabolic effect. At this point I will enthusiastically support the use of leucine supplementation to preserve muscle mass in people over 40 who are involved in regular resistance training.

In conclusion, I am definitely a fan of leucine and will keep it in my regimen.

Fun Images From The Arnold Sports Festival 2014

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Photos by Ron Avidan.

Sleep Deficit and Muscle Loss

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http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-news-the-newest-in-mp/10329-sleep-deficit-and-muscle-loss.html?hitcount=0

Plyo Video Series: Box Jumps

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http://www.rxmuscle.com/2011-09-21-22-01-54/10321-the-plyo-series-box-jumps.html

Plyo Video Series: Frog Jumps

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CSweat Episode #44 With IFBB Pro Bikini Competitor Stacey Naito

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Contest Friendly Bread?

March 6, 2014February 23, 2014drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Those of you who are well acquainted with contest prep are familiar with pulling down carbs and avoiding protein powder and artificial sweeteners during the week leading up to an event. For many of you, that week is characterized by Ziploc bags full of boiled chicken and asparagus. You may be having dreams about post-contest cheat meals and a big reunion with all the fun foods which were forbidden during your prep. But what about P28 Bread? Must you wait until after the contest to dive into a delicious P28 sandwich?

The general opinion is that wheat based carbohydrate sources and whey protein should be omitted from final week prep. However, I am not joking when I say that I ate a slice of P28 Bread every day during one final week prep, right up through the day I stepped onstage, and ended up taking a First Place national finish. As long as you do not experience belly bloat after eating P28 Bread, you should not have an issue with consuming it before hitting the stage. I will put out a disclaimer and say that you should check with your coach and follow whatever plan is in place, but if you are doing your own prep, you might want to consider incorporating P28 bread into that final week meal regimen.