A Must: Muscles, Protein & Leucine

Published on 6 June 2025 at 13:28

💕 Hi Most Amazing ICU Wellness Spa Fam 💕

I couldn’t contain my excitement and had to share something I believe is incredibly important — especially as we gracefully move through different seasons of life.

Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made. And when we give the body what it recognizes, needs and knows how to use, it has an extraordinary capacity to respond.

This isn’t about judgment, chasing youth or fearing aging.

It’s about empowerment.

It’s about understanding your body so you can nourish it, strengthen it and support it intentionally for the beautiful years ahead.

💪🏼 Stay strong. Live vibrantly. Feel optimal.

Why Lean Muscle Matters

Muscle is about SO much more than appearance.

Healthy lean muscle supports our strength, metabolism, blood-sugar regulation, bones, mobility, resilience and independence.

And as we age, preserving — and continuing to build — muscle becomes increasingly important.

The beautiful news?

Your muscles can continue responding to what you do.

Strength training provides the stimulus.

Protein provides the building blocks.

And certain essential amino acids — especially leucine — help provide the signal that tells your body it’s time to repair and build muscle.

The Power of Strength Training

Our muscles were designed to be used.

Resistance training sends the body a powerful message:

“We need this muscle. Keep it. Strengthen it.”

And when we combine that stimulus with adequate protein, essential amino acids, recovery and nourishment, we’re giving our bodies what they need to support strong, functional muscle throughout life.

You are NEVER “too old” to benefit from becoming stronger.

Meet Leucine: The Muscle-Building “Switch”

Let’s talk about something many people have never been taught.

Leucine is an essential amino acid found in protein, and it plays an important signaling role in activating muscle protein synthesis (MPS).

Think of MPS as your body’s repair-and-rebuild process for muscle tissue.

I like to explain leucine as one of the keys that helps flip the muscle-building switch ON.

But here’s an important distinction:

Leucine is the signal — protein supplies the building materials.

You need BOTH.

Simply sprinkling a little protein throughout the day may not provide the same muscle-building stimulus as intentionally building protein-rich meals containing adequate essential amino acids and leucine.

And this becomes increasingly important as we age.

If You’re 55–60+, PLEASE Pay Attention to This

This is something I wish more people understood.

As we age, our muscles can become less responsive to smaller amounts of protein — a phenomenon researchers call anabolic resistance.

That doesn’t mean your body has stopped responding.

It means we need to become more intentional about the SIGNAL we’re giving it.

For those of us around 55–60 and beyond, I want you thinking:

💪🏼 Approximately 30–40 grams of high-quality protein PER MEAL

AND

🔑 Approximately 3–4 grams of leucine within that protein-rich meal.

Rather than saving most of your protein for dinner, think about intentionally nourishing your muscles throughout the day.

Breakfast matters.

Lunch matters.

Dinner matters.

Every meal is another opportunity to nourish and protect your lean muscle.

Individual protein needs vary with body size, activity, health and goals, but this is a wonderfully practical framework for thinking differently about protein as we age.

Quick Reference: Leucine & Protein Content

(per typical serving size, approximate values)

Animal Sources

Chicken breast (3 oz cooked) – ~27g protein | ~2.5g leucine
Tuna (3 oz cooked) – ~25g protein | ~1.6g leucine
Beef steak (3 oz cooked) – ~26g protein | ~2.6g leucine
Hamburger, ground beef (3 oz cooked) – ~22g protein | ~1.9g leucine
Elk (3 oz cooked) – ~26g protein | ~2.2g leucine
Antelope (3 oz cooked) – ~26g protein | ~2.6g leucine
Trout (3 oz cooked) – ~22g protein | ~1.8g leucine
Sardines (3 oz canned in water) – ~23g protein | ~2.0g leucine
Salmon (3 oz cooked) – ~22g protein | ~2.0g leucine
Egg (1 large) – ~6g protein | ~0.5g leucine
Pork loin (3 oz cooked) – ~24g protein | ~2.5g leucine
Bacon (1 slice) – ~3g protein | ~1.0g leucine

Dairy / Protein Powders

Cottage cheese (1 cup, low-fat) – ~28g protein | ~2.7g leucine
Greek yogurt (1 cup, plain nonfat) – ~20g protein | ~1.7g leucine
Whey protein powder (1 scoop / 25g protein) – ~25g protein | ~2.5g leucine
SunWarrior Warrior Blend, Vanilla (1 scoop / 25g serving) – ~17g protein | ~1.4g leucine
(≈2 scoops = ~34g protein and ~2.8g leucine, which crosses the threshold for muscle synthesis)

Plant Sources

Lentils (½ cup cooked) – ~9g protein | ~0.9g leucine
Chickpeas (½ cup cooked) – ~7g protein | ~1.2g leucine
Quinoa (1 cup cooked) – ~8g protein | ~0.6g leucine
Tofu (3 oz) – ~9g protein | ~1.5g leucine
Tempeh (3 oz) – ~15g protein | ~2.2g leucine
Hemp seeds (3 Tbsp) – ~10g protein | ~2.6g leucine
Peanut butter (2 Tbsp) – ~8g protein | ~0.5g leucine
Almonds (1 oz / 23 nuts) – ~6g protein | ~0.4g leucine

Rather than obsessing over a single food’s exact leucine number, build the entire meal around your protein goal.

Then ask:

“Am I getting enough high-quality protein AND enough leucine to give my muscles a strong signal?”

A Helpful Note About Plant Protein

Plant proteins can absolutely be part of a beautiful, muscle-supportive diet.

But many plant proteins naturally provide less leucine and/or smaller amounts of certain essential amino acids per serving than some animal-based proteins.

That doesn’t make them “bad.”

It simply means we need to be intentional.

You may need a larger serving, a strategic combination of protein sources, or an essential-amino-acid-rich addition to help create a meal that provides everything your muscles need.

And remember:

Being a “complete protein” doesn’t automatically tell us whether a serving provides enough total protein or leucine to create the muscle-building stimulus we’re looking for.

Don’t Just Count Your Daily Protein

This is BIG.

We often hear:

“How many grams of protein did you eat today?”

But I want you to begin asking another question:

“How much quality protein did I give my body at EACH MEAL?”

Especially after 55–60, think beyond one giant protein-heavy dinner.

Think:

Breakfast → protein.
Lunch → protein.
Dinner → protein.

For many adults in this season of life, building meals around approximately 30–40 grams of quality protein is a simple, powerful strategy.

And alongside that protein:

Aim for approximately 3–4 grams of leucine.

Protein supplies the materials.

Leucine helps flip the switch.

Strength training gives your body a reason to USE those materials.

✨ Now we’re talking synergy. ✨

The Key Takeaway

Your muscles are listening to the signals you send them.

Every resistance-training session says:

“Stay strong.”

Every protein-rich meal says:

“Here are your building materials.”

And adequate leucine helps say:

“It’s time to repair and build.”

This isn’t about perfection.

It’s about intention.

Wrapping It All Up

Please don’t accept the idea that becoming weaker is simply something you have to surrender to as the birthdays add up.

Our bodies are beautifully responsive.

We can move.

We can lift.

We can nourish.

We can recover.

We can protect precious lean muscle.

And we can continue becoming stronger, more capable and more resilient through the seasons of our lives.

Strength isn’t merely about what you see in the mirror.

It’s about carrying your groceries.

Getting up from the floor.

Playing with your grandchildren.

Traveling.

Hiking.

Working.

Living independently.

And continuing to participate fully in this beautiful life we’ve been given.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 💕

Taking intentional care of your body is one beautiful way to honor that gift.

Build the muscle.
Nourish the muscle.
USE the muscle.
And keep living vibrantly. 💪🏼💕