Aspectos atuais sobre aminocidos de cadeia ramificada e exerccio fsico

ABSTRACT Current aspects of branched chainamino acid and exercise In healthy humans, nine amino acids are considered to beessential once they cannot be endogenously synthesisedand must therefore be ingested in the diet. Amongst theessential amino acids are the three branched chain aminoacids, namely, leucine, valine and isoleucine. These aminoacids participate in the regulation of protein balance inaddition to being nitrogen sources for the synthesis ofalanine and glutamine. As to the regulation of muscleprotein synthesis, leucine acts in the stimulation ofinitiation of mRNA translation into protein, both throughmechanisms that are dependent and independent ofinsulin. In the physiology of physical exercise, thesebranched amino acids play a role in central fatiguehypothesis, in muscle protein balance, in the secretion ofinsulin, in the modulation of the immune response, inperformance enhancement of individuals who work out inhot environments, and in avoiding muscle lesion. Thisreview approaches all aspects of the metabolism of andsupplementation with branched chain amino acids inphysical exercise.UNITERMS: Branched chain amino acids. Physicalexercise. Central fatigue. Immune response. Musclelesion. Protein synthesis.