Key findings from detailed records
Population: 145 adults aged 70 or older with sarcopenia (440 planned) Findings: Leucine did not significantly improve the primary outcome.
KNOWLEDGE RECORD
- Category
- Strength and exercise
- Last Reviewed
Names and related search termsEssential amino acids and leucine / Essential Amino Acids / EAA / Leucine / Leucine
Study type: human intervention study.
OUTCOME-SPECIFIC EVIDENCE
Scientific Evidence Profile
Assessment pending
An outcome-specific assessment has not yet been completed. This is not a finding that the ingredient is ineffective. The study records below remain available.
This profile concerns the stated outcome and population, not the ingredient as a whole. It is not a probability of benefit, a safety rating, a product efficacy rating or an indication of product adoption.
How we assess evidenceIngredient Profile
- What is it, and where is it found?
- Essential amino acids must be supplied through the diet. Leucine is one of them; a single amino acid and a mixture are different interventions. [1]
Sources for this profile
Compound properties and formulation properties are different. These sources do not establish the efficacy of a finished supplement.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance Nutrient identity and food-source reference. Published by NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Reference synthesis; not an individual clinical trial.
Profile sources checked:
Read the evidence in context
- Evidence: what was measured in the stated population or experimental model.
- Inference: an interpretation connecting findings; its applicability depends on the study conditions.
- Hypothesis: a proposed explanation or effect that remains to be tested.
Why It Matters #
Can leucine alone and EAA mixtures be assessed using the same evidence? Check the detailed records for study conditions and use the literature map to compare other populations and outcomes.
What Was Studied #
145 adults aged 70 or older with sarcopenia (440 planned) LACE: double-blind, 2×2 factorial randomized trial. Outcomes: Physical function assessed by the SPPB score[1]
What Was Found #
Leucine did not significantly improve the primary outcome.[1]
What the Evidence Means #
Recruitment fell short of the planned sample size. The trial studied leucine alone and neither confirms nor rules out the efficacy of EAA mixtures.[1]
Comparing similar populations, formulations, durations and outcomes helps identify where findings agree and where they differ.
What We Can Learn #
Do not group research solely by amino acid names. The EAA study below assessed insulin sensitivity, not muscle hypertrophy.
What Remains Unknown #
Further questions include reproducibility across populations and formulations, and the long-term balance of benefits and harms. Use the literature map as a starting point for these questions.
LITERATURE MAP / 10 PAPERS
Compare papers by conditions and findings.
A literature map covering different populations, outcomes and formulations. Read alongside detailed records to avoid treating one trial as the conclusion for an entire ingredient.
Selected: 2026-09-21. Bibliographic information checked against Europe PMC / PubMed. Editorial selection considered major papers and a range of populations and questions. This is not a systematic search covering all recent research.
10 RECORDS
A dash marks fields outside the bibliographic record. Use detailed records to compare findings and design records to connect mechanisms.
No papers match. Change the search conditions.
The literature map is an index of research questions and references. Individual assessment of results, doses, funding and COI is limited to the detailed study records. Related reports from the same trial may be included; paper counts are not counts of independent trials.
Explore the research Study Records
Listed doses describe study conditions, not recommended intake.
Effect of perindopril or leucine on physical performance in older people with sarcopenia: the LACE randomized controlled trial.
PubMed 35174663DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.12934
- Authors
- LACE study group, Achison M, Adamson S, Akpan A, Aspray T, Avenell A, Band MM, Bashir T, Burton LA, Cvoro V, Donnan PT, Duncan GW, George J, Gordon AL, Gregson CL, Hapca A, Henderson E, Hume C, Jackson TA, Kemp P, Kerr S, Kilgour A, Lyell V, Masud T, McKenzie A, McKenzie E, Patel H, Pilvinyte K, Roberts HC, Rossios C, Sayer AA, Smith KT, Soiza RL, Steves CJ, Struthers AD, Sumukadas D, Tiwari D, Whitney J, Witham MD.
- Journal
- Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle
- Publication year
- 2022
- Study design
- LACE: double-blind, 2×2 factorial randomized trial
- Participants
- 145 adults aged 70 or older with sarcopenia (440 planned)
- Dose and intervention
- Leucine 2.5 g three times daily; perindopril/placebo as a separate factorial intervention.
- Duration
- 12 months
- Outcomes and their role in the study
- Physical function assessed by the SPPB score
- Findings
- Leucine did not significantly improve the primary outcome.
- Limitations
- Recruitment fell short of the planned sample size. The trial studied leucine alone and neither confirms nor rules out the efficacy of EAA mixtures.
- Funding
- The joint MRC and NIHR EME programme.
- Conflict of Interest
- Donnan disclosed research grants from AbbVie and other interests. Other authors declared no competing interests.
- Scope of source review
- Bibliographic information and abstract checked, along with relevant funding and conflict-of-interest sections in the public full text. This is not a comprehensive critical appraisal of the full paper.
Effect of essential amino acid supplementation and aerobic exercise on insulin sensitivity in healthy older adults: A randomized clinical trial.
PubMed 31307843DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2019.06.017
- Authors
- Randolph AC, Markofski MM, Rasmussen BB, Volpi E.
- Journal
- Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)
- Publication year
- 2020
- Study design
- Randomized, double-blind, 2×2 factorial trial
- Participants
- 42 older adults without diabetes, assigned to four groups
- Dose and intervention
- EAA 15 g/day. Exercise groups undertook supervised treadmill walking three times weekly.
- Duration
- 22 weeks
- Outcomes and their role in the study
- Insulin sensitivity assessed by oral glucose tolerance testing
- Findings
- Exercise improved the measure, but EAA supplementation had no significant effect.
- Limitations
- Small sample. It does not address every question about muscle mass or strength.
- Funding
- Supported by NIH grants. Ajinomoto donated the amino acid supplements.
- Conflict of Interest
- The authors stated that they had no conflicts of interest to report; the donated study supplement is disclosed in Funding.
- Scope of source review
- The original abstract was checked for population, dose, duration and results; available source disclosures were checked separately. Any unverified disclosure details remain identified above.
Cite this page
LÍFSVARÐA. Essential amino acids and leucine: Can leucine alone and EAA mixtures be assessed using the same evidence? Version 1.1 / Updated 2026-10-24
https://lifsvarda.com/knowledge/essential-amino-acids/Edited by LÍFSVARÐA (product brand).Editorial policy
Sources and updates
- LACE study group, Achison M, Adamson S, Akpan A, Aspray T, Avenell A, Band MM, Bashir T, Burton LA, Cvoro V, Donnan PT, Duncan GW, George J, Gordon AL, Gregson CL, Hapca A, Henderson E, Hume C, Jackson TA, Kemp P, Kerr S, Kilgour A, Lyell V, Masud T, McKenzie A, McKenzie E, Patel H, Pilvinyte K, Roberts HC, Rossios C, Sayer AA, Smith KT, Soiza RL, Steves CJ, Struthers AD, Sumukadas D, Tiwari D, Whitney J, Witham MD. (2022). Effect of perindopril or leucine on physical performance in older people with sarcopenia: the LACE randomized controlled trial.Bibliographic information and abstract checked, along with relevant funding and conflict-of-interest sections in the public full text. This is not a comprehensive critical appraisal of the full paper.
- Randolph AC, Markofski MM, Rasmussen BB, Volpi E. (2020). Effect of essential amino acid supplementation and aerobic exercise on insulin sensitivity in healthy older adults: A randomized clinical trial.The original abstract was checked for population, dose, duration and results; available source disclosures were checked separately. Any unverified disclosure details remain identified above.
First published: 2026-09-21 / Version 1.1. Updated 2026-09-23: Added a research comparison table and links to design records. Source notes identify the scope of verification when the full paper has not been reviewed. Research summaries and LÍFSVARÐA’s interpretation are distinguished.