Leucine – the muscle builder

In a study training subjects were given placebo, only carbohydrate meal, only leucine meal or carbohydrate and leucine meal (leucine is the main amino acid, responsible for the muscle building effect of protein). Researchers found that the carbohydrate meal didn’t produce any anabolic effect; the meal with leucine had an anabolic effect on the skeletal muscle but the meal with carbohydrates and leucine had the greatest anabolic effect.

Conclusion – take some carbohydrates in your post-workout meal if you want to gain lean muscle mass. Protein by itself will work some but it will do its job a lot better if combined with carbs.