Dr. Rhonda Patrick

for up to six hours.

That's about two to three grams of leucine, which can be obtained by consuming 20 grams of a high quality protein like whey protein.

Even though leucine might be the most important amino acid for stimulating muscle protein synthesis, all of the amino acids are required to allow the process of muscle protein synthesis to sustain for four to six hours.

Leucine is the signal, but we also need to have all of the building blocks to build and repair muscle protein.

Exercise lowers that leucine threshold because it makes muscle more sensitive to amino acids.

This means a lower dose of leucine and therefore a lower dose of protein is needed to reach the leucine threshold and stimulate muscle protein synthesis.

after exercise.

Aging does reduce the sensitivity of leucine and other amino acids.

It takes a larger dose of protein or leucine to stimulate the same muscle protein synthesis response for someone who is older compared to a younger adult.

But again, older adults who routinely exercise can help overcome this since exercise increases

sensitivity to leucine.

If you're consuming a variety of plant-based and animal-based food sources and or supplementing with whey protein, you probably don't have to worry about consuming enough leucine at each meal or throughout the day.

Focusing on whole foods is the best way to ensure you're getting enough leucine, but of course, if you're concerned, adding whey protein or branched-chain amino acid supplement to your diet is another way to get additional leucine.

Now, let's talk about the difference between protein from animal and plant-based sources.

Animal versus plant protein.

Whether your loyalties are towards a plant-based diet or a meat-inclusive diet, from a standpoint of just focusing on optimizing for muscle protein synthesis, an animal source protein is better.

It is also easier for most people to obtain protein from an animal-based food source for a few reasons.

For one, animal protein sources have a greater protein density.

Plant-based foods contain less protein per gram than most animal-based foods.

For example, getting 20 grams of protein from potatoes