08/10/2022
Leucine and essential amino acids appear to stimulate human muscle protein synthesis primarily by activating the mTOR signalling pathway. How human muscle cells sense an increase in leucine and/or essential amino acids to activate mTOR signalling is currently unknown. However, recent work suggests that the kinases hVps34 and MAP43K may be involved. Leucine-enriched essential amino acid ingestion, in combination with resistance exercise in some cases, may be a useful intervention to promote mTOR signalling and protein synthesis in an effort to counteract a variety of muscle wasting conditions