Sigma Nutrition Radio

Episode 123: Donald Layman PhD, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, discusses the "leucine threshold" and activation of the mTOR pathway, amino acid oxidation and why MPS drops 2-3 hours after that peaking even when protein remains being fed.

Dr. Layman is professor emeritus at the University of Illinois.

Dr. Layman's laboratory is working to define protein and amino acid requirements and the interrelationship between dietary protein and carbohydrates in adult health. His research is focused on the impact of diet and exercise on adult health problems of obesity, type 2 diabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome.

We discuss:
What should we define as a "high-protein" diet?
Making protein recommendations on a per meal basis
The "leucine threshold" and activation of the mTOR pathway
Other metabolic signals triggered off by amino acids that play a role in health
The roles of insulin and leucine in mTOR activation - shifts in their contribution over time
Why oxidation of amino acids does not mean they are "wasted"
Why MPS drops 2-3 hours after that peaking even when protein remains being fed
Protein synthesis as an energy expensive process
Leucine kinetics
Protein leverage hypothesis