Leucine while cutting....Yay or Nay?

bcf7683

So I've been on a strictly strength training routine for the last 13~ish weeks (cardio usually once a week) and now I'm going back to cutting some fat for the next 5-6 weeks. I've been skimming articles pertaining to HIIT (my cardio of choice) and I've seen in multiple places that Leucine is recommended while trying to cut fat to (help) retain muscle. My question is- I'm already using ON Whey & Creatine Post-WO (whey Pre-WO). Would it be beneficial to add in Leucine on top of the others (my diet consists of around 160g of carbs & protein and around 40-45g fats per day, fyi)? Or is the whey sufficient enough?

SideSteel

Considering that your protein intake is already well above what is normally regarded as sufficient, I would be surprised if you get much of any benefit from adding additional Leucine on top of this.


But that's pure speculation on my part.

MiamiKid305

BCAA supplements will not help you lose fat, but they can help preserve muscle while on a cut.. i do take them when i do cardio or know im gonna be at the gym for a while. theyre really not that important since most of the foods you eat already have an amino acid profile. and youve been training for 13 weeks and already going on a cut? 13 weeks is not enough time to decide to end your bulk unless your at like 20% BF i would say keep bulking and cutting down should take you as long as you need to get down to your desired BF%

Acg67

So I've been on a strictly strength training routine for the last 13~ish weeks (cardio usually once a week) and now I'm going back to cutting some fat for the next 5-6 weeks. I've been skimming articles pertaining to HIIT (my cardio of choice) and I've seen in multiple places that Leucine is recommended while trying to cut fat to (help) retain muscle. My question is- I'm already using ON Whey & Creatine Post-WO (whey Pre-WO). Would it be beneficial to add in Leucine on top of the others (my diet consists of around 160g of carbs & protein and around 40-45g fats per day, fyi)? Or is the whey sufficient enough?

The speculation is that it would help retain muscle while dieting due to leucine's effect on the mTOR pathway, whether or not that would mean anything towards body comp, in the midst of adequate protein is just speculation

bcf7683

BCAA supplements will not help you lose fat, but they can help preserve muscle while on a cut.. i do take them when i do cardio or know im gonna be at the gym for a while. theyre really not that important since most of the foods you eat already have an amino acid profile. and youve been training for 13 weeks and already going on a cut? 13 weeks is not enough time to decide to end your bulk unless your at like 20% BF i would say keep bulking and cutting down should take you as long as you need to get down to your desired BF%

Before the 13 weeks I was still mainly strength training, I was doing cardio 2-3 times/week, but it wasn't high intensity or anything, just trotted on the treadmill for 15-20 minutes to get my heart rate up for a while. The last 13 weeks I've been mainly focused on lifting, little to no cardio. So it's been more like the last 5 months that I've been strength training mainly. I just cut out most to all cardio the last 13 weeks.

I guess where my confusion lies is whether my protein intake is sufficient enough to aid muscle retention. And it's looking like it is....?

MiamiKid305

it seems high enough.. i get what your saying now, if your gonna do some crazy high intensity stuff that is gonna keep you at the gym for a while then i guess leucine would be ok but otherwise its not an important supplement

bcf7683

it seems high enough.. i get what your saying now, if your gonna do some crazy high intensity stuff that is gonna keep you at the gym for a while then i guess leucine would be ok but otherwise its not an important supplement

What I plan on doing is
Mon/Wed- complex barbell routine & HIIT running
Tues/Thurs- jump rope circuit training & strength training
Fri- Strength training & HIIT running

I'm usually there for around an hour & half/day