A recent large-scale study challenged the long-held belief that older adults need more leucine to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Contrary to 17-year-old research suggesting older adults had "anabolic resistance" to amino acids, this new study found that healthy older adults (ages 65-85) responded normally to a small dose of essential amino acids containing just 1.77g of leucine. The researchers concluded that healthy aging itself doesn't cause amino acid resistance, and adequate dietary protein should be sufficient to maintain muscle mass in older adults.
