As Gabrielle Lyon, D.O., a functional medicine physician and the founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine, previously explained to mindbodygreen, it takes about 2.5 grams of leucine to “turn on” your body’s muscle-building process for five to six hours, so this is a threshold you should aim to hit during each meal.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition and fitness, you generally require more leucine if you’re physically active or an older adult.
That’s why McKendry and Lim recommend consuming about 2.5 to 3 grams of leucine per meal if you’re a younger adult (under 60), and 4 to 5 grams per meal if you’re an older adult. “This works out to roughly 7.5 to 9 grams and 12 to 15 grams of leucine per day for younger and older individuals, respectively,” they say.
“Few studies have determined the required amount of leucine based on activity level,” McKendry and Lim add, but they also recommend upping your leucine intake if you’re physically active.
It’s important to note that getting enough leucine is essential for everyone, not just athletes and older adults. Consistently low leucine levels can result in several side effects, including lack of appetite, lethargy, poor growth and development, weight loss, skin rashes, and hair loss.
Church adds, “Without sufficient leucine intake, your muscles will break down to provide higher priority organs (like the brain, liver, kidneys, and heart) with their respective leucine requirements.”
Speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian about how much leucine you should take to support good health and take your fitness to the next level.
