Background & aims: Inadequate protein intake is associated with lean body mass (LBM) loss. However, it is unclear whether high protein diet and leucine intake are associated with handgrip strength (HGS), a validated marker of muscle function. This study aims to: i) assess the prevalence of patients with low HGS; and ii) verify if HGS is correlated with high protein diet and leucine consumption in hemodialysis patients.