HICA

What is HICA?

Leucine is one of the most important, if not the most important, of all amino acids when it comes to muscle growth. In addition to leucine, there are a number of leucine metabolites that also have anabolic and anti-catabolic properties. These include KIC (ketoisocaproate), HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) and alpha-hydroxyisocaproic acid (HICA). HIAC is produced when leucine is broken down and HICA has been shown to inhibit muscle breakdown by blocking the action of catabolic compounds such as metalloproteinases.

Is there any scientific research showing the effects of HICA?

The first study to investigate the effects of HICA supplementation was conducted in Finland with competitive wrestlers. This was an initial pilot study, the results of which were never published in a scientific journal. Nevertheless, the results were quite impressive. The wrestlers were given 500 mg of HICA three times a day over a period of 6 weeks to accompany intensive training. They took the HICA after the training sessions and yes, they trained three times a day. At the end of the six weeks, the wrestlers had gained about 2 pounds of lean muscle mass. While this may not sound like a lot at first glance, the results are quite impressive when you consider that these athletes were training up to five hours a day and you would expect to see a loss of muscle mass with that amount of training.

The wrestlers also reported significantly less delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) compared to the 6 weeks during which they did not receive HICA. After seeing these results in wrestlers, the Finnish scientists decided to conduct another study with soccer players. They gave one group of athletes 500 mg of HICA three times a day with meals, while a second group received only a placebo. All athletes participated in an intensive training program consisting of four training sessions, one soccer match and two weight training sessions per week.

As already observed in the wrestlers, the soccer players also increased their muscle mass. The scientists reported that the soccer players gained one pound of muscle mass on their legs. The placebo group, on the other hand, lost muscle mass, as would be expected with such a high training volume and high energy consumption over a period of four weeks. The delayed onset of muscle soreness was significantly lower in the HICA group compared to the placebo group.

What does this mean for strength athletes, bodybuilders and recreational athletes?

Both studies conducted with HICA involved periods of very intense training and often multiple training sessions per day, potentially leading to a catabolic, muscle wasting environment. So if you are on a particularly intense training program and/or following a strict, low-calorie diet, HICA will help you prevent muscle loss and possibly even build muscle mass. It is recommended that you take 500 mg of HICA three times a day with meals, which is the dosage used in the studies. On training days, one portion should be taken with the shake before training and one portion with the shake/meal after training.