Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations Are Associated with Muscle Function in Older Japanese Women

Although several previous studies have found benefits for amino acid supplementation in terms of muscle function, the role of plasma amino acid concentrations on sarcopenia are not well addressed yet. The aim of this study was to compare the amino acid concentrations at each stage of sarcopenia (normal, pre-sarcopenia, dynapenia, and sarcopenia) in community-dwelling older Japanese adults. Setting and Subjects: Community-dwelling older Japanese women (n=232, 79.4 +/- 7.0 years) participated in this study. We measured plasma amino acid concentrations, 5-m walking speed, grip strength, and skeletal muscle mass using a bioelectrical impedance data acquisition system and compared them among participants at each stage of sarcopenia. The proportions of normal, pre-sarcopenia, dynapenia, and sarcopenia patients were 40.5% (n=94), 12.1% (n=28), 26.3% (n=61), and 21.1% (n=49), respectively. Significant differences were observed for concentrations of leucine, branched-chain amino acid (BCAAs), and essential amino acid (EAAs) among the four groups (p < 0.05), and the dynapenia and sarcopenia groups showed significantly lower concentrations of leucine than the normal group (p < 0.05). This study indicated a positive relationship between plasma leucine, BCAA and EAA concentrations and muscle function. A longitudinal study is needed to determine the causal relationship between leucine/BCAA concentrations and muscle function.