isoleucine

Island cooking is an essential amino acid found mainly in protein-rich foods (meat, fish, legumes, eggs, dairy products, etc.).

In the human body it plays a fundamental role in protein synthesis, especially in the muscular one. It also prevents the catabolism of structural proteins and promotes recovery from prolonged effort.

Isoleucine is a glucogenic amino acid (can be converted to glucose) and ketogenic (can be converted into ketone bodies). Both these metabolic pathways are poorly active in normal conditions, but become valuable during prolonged fasting or when blood glucose is scarce due to prolonged physical activity. For this reason the ischiaucine is marketed, together with two other essential branched chain amino acids (leucine and valine), in products dedicated to sportsmen.

See also: leucine