The dose-response relationship of leucine on cardiovascular disease risk indicators in young male adults during intermittent fasting

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in Singapore. It is therefore important to assess one’s risk of cardiovascular disease and evaluate what are the possible interventions that can be done to prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease. Beyond strategies such as weight loss for overweight individuals, it is also important to evaluate the quality and nutritional makeup of one’s diet. Purpose: Investigate a dose-response of leucine on cardiovascular disease risk indicators during intermittent fasting and determine a minimum amount of leucine necessary to illicit positive health benefits. Methods: 19 young overweight/obese male adults in a double-blinded, randomised control study design completed 4 weeks of an ADF programme, alternating between 3 meals/day on feeding days and 1 meal/day on fasting days.. Leucine doses of 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 or 0.08g/kg body mass per meal were randomly allocated to participants through food provision. Blood and lipid profiles were determined after blood draws at pre- and post-programme, with measurements collected throughout six laboratory sessions. Results: Significant main effects of time were observed on BM, SBP and LDL-C, suggesting effectiveness of ADF. There was also a significant interaction between time and leucine dose in SBP but further analysis determined that a dose- response relationship of leucine on SBP cannot be assumed. Conclusion: There is no dose- response relationship of leucine on cardiovascular disease risk indicators in young male adults during intermittent fasting. Future studies may look into implementing longer intervention periods.