Consumption of Branched-Chain Amino Acids Is Inversely Associated with Central Obesity and Cardiometabolic Features in a Population of Brazilian Middle-Aged Men: Potential Role of Leucine Intake

OBJECTIVETo assess the potential associations of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) consumption with central obesity (CObesity) and cardiometabolic risk factors in a population of Brazilian middle-aged men. Special attention was given to leucine intake. DESIGNCross-sectional study. SETTINGUniversidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil. PARTICIPANTSTwo-hundred ninety-six middle-aged men (Age: 50.5 ± 5.0 years; Body mass index: 25.8 ± 3.5 kg/m2). MEASUREMENTSAnthropometry, lifestyle features, blood biochemical parameters were assessed and dietary intake was estimated by a food frequency questionnaire. Participants were classified by the occurrence of CObesity, hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype (HWP) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). RESULTSSubjects in the BCAA highest tertile (≥0.17 g/kg/d) presented lower occurrence of CObesity (36.0% vs 72.4%, P