Interview Conducted by Josh Beaty The following interview was conducted by Josh Beaty with Layne Norton, Jamie Hale, Alan Aragon and Will Brink. Sit back and enjoy a very informative discussion.

J Beaty: The big focus in hypertrophy research lately has the mTOR pathway. What impact does this research have on bodybuilders?

L Norton: The mTOR pathway is a major cellular anabolic pathway that is responsible for much of the anabolic response to nutrient stimulus. In adult subjects, amino acids (specifically leucine) are responsible for triggering mTOR activation. mTOR essentially acts as a ‘leucine gauge.’ If leucine levels increase, mTOR becomes active & activates other components of the protein synthetic pathway because high leucine levels indicate a fed state, and ample amino acids are present for protein synthesis to occur. If leucine levels drop, mTOR becomes less active as it senses that there are not enough amino acids and energy to continue protein synthesis.