The Effect of 8-Week Resistance Training and Leucine Supplementation on Protein Synthesis Among Elderly Men With Sarcopenia

The aim of present study was to determine the effect of eight weeks resistance training and the supplementation of leucine on protein synthesis in the elderly men with sarcopenia.
A total of 40 elderly men residing in the elderly nursing center were randomly chosen and divided into four groups including Resistance Training and Leucine Supplement (RTLS=10), Resistance Training (RT=10), Leucine Supplement (LS=10), and Control (C=10). Resistance training was performed 8 weeks with intensity training %35-70 of one repetition maximum (1RM) for 20-45 minutes. The group supplement consumed 3 grams of leucine amino acid in every meal. The serum insulin concentration, urine nitrogen, muscle mass, and muscle strength were measured one day before the protocol and 72 hours after the last training session. Ancova was analyzed within and between group changes. Bonferroni post hoc test was used to determine the difference between every two groups.
Results showed that Urine nitrogen and muscle mass levels increased significantly after 8 weeks of RT compared to the C group (p The results of this study revealed that the muscle protein synthesis increased after resistance training in skeletal muscle. This indicates that the rate of sarcopenia reduced as a result of resistance training. In addition, resistance training along with consuming leucine supplement was effective in improving muscle strength.