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Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition pp 15–32Cite as

Leucine-Protein Supplemented Recovery and Exercise

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Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

The endurance-trained state is arguably the natural expression condition of human skeletal muscle [1]. Early humans experienced environmental selection pressure and migration out of Africa, that would have favoured a high physical endurance capacity [2, 3]. Improved endurance capabilities in early humans likely facilitated scavenging and persistence hunting and the co-emergence and increased post-exercise consumption of readily digestible protein and calorie intake [4]. Therefore, scavenging, hunting and gathering a high-protein diet [5] coupled with long-durations of endurance exercise (up to 8 h) supported not only the high energetic and tissue amino acid requirements of the musculoskeletal system, but also the metabolic demands of an increasingly larger brain mass contributing to social, cultural and technological development [5]. Animals would have been consumed within the hours following hunting, tracking or gathering, which is also when nutrient delivery to the exercised tissue is best because of transient increases in muscle blood flow, insulin sensitivity and glucose and amino acid uptake [6, 7]. Disturbances to muscle homeostasis from regular endurance exercise coupled with post-exercise hyperaminoacidaemia from a protein-rich diet might, therefore, be the normal environmental cues for adaptive remodelling in human skeletal muscle [8].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Sport and Exercise Science and Institute of Sport, Exercise & Active Living (ISEAL), Footscray Park Campus, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Andre R. Nelson Ph.D.

  2. Physical and Cognitive Performance Group, Nutrition & Health Research, Nestlé Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Leonidas G. Karagounis Ph.D.

  3. School of Sport and Exercise, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

    David S. Rowlands Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Andre R. Nelson Ph.D.
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  2. Leonidas G. Karagounis Ph.D.
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  3. David S. Rowlands Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Andre R. Nelson Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Intensive Care, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

    Rajkumar Rajendram

  2. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Nelson, A.R., Karagounis, L.G., Rowlands, D.S. (2015). Leucine-Protein Supplemented Recovery and Exercise. In: Rajendram, R., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1914-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1914-7_2

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