Why leucine instead of only total protein?
Total daily protein can look fine on paper while each eating occasion is too small to matter. A per-meal leucine check forces the plate (or sip) to clear a synthesis-relevant threshold three times in the week.
It is a meal mechanic, not a replacement for the day’s floor, and not a diagnosis of anabolic resistance.
What does a leucine hit look like on real food?
Dense animal proteins and dairy usually clear faster than dilute plant plates at the same calories. On nausea weeks, strained yogurt, cottage cheese blended with milk, eggs, or a clinician-approved sip can still count if the leucine math clears.
The card grades example foods A / B / — against this week’s threshold. That is coaching, not a grocery prescription.
| Occasion | Example direction | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Eggs + strained yogurt or cottage cheese | Clear ~2.7 g leucine early |
| Midday | Chicken, fish, or tofu plate sized to keep down | Second hit without forcing volume |
| Evening | Dairy sip or lean meat if solids fail | Third hit before the week closes |
| Miss | Broth-only or cracker day | Does not count — recast appetite if this is the new normal |
How does this connect to the weekly floor?
Three leucine hits are the ritual. The daily floor is the gram band. Sunday review reads hits plus weight into Holding / Watching / Slipping — a heuristic, not a clinic note. Recast when dose-week, appetite, or weight move.
Questions people ask
- Is 2.7 g leucine a proven muscle-preservation dose?
- No. It is a working product number inside a ~2.5–3 g literature band for per-meal synthesis checks. It does not guarantee muscle.
- Do I need an EAA or whey supplement?
- Not from us. Food first. If a clinician recommends a supplement, that sits outside the card. We do not sell the powder.
- How many leucine hits per week?
- The ritual board asks for three. That is the product loop for weeks appetite is off — not a universal sports-nutrition law.