High-performance physical activity and postexercise recovery lead to significant changes in
amino acid and protein metabolism in skeletal muscle. Central to these changes is an
increase in the metabolism of the BCAA leucine. During exercise, muscle protein synthesis
decreases together with a net increase in protein degradation and stimulation of BCAA
oxidation. The decrease in protein synthesis is associated with inhibition of translation
initiation factors 4E and 4G and ribosomal protein S6 under regulatory controls of …