HICA supplementation could be beneficial for athletes who are trying to add lean muscle mass or prevent lean tissue loss
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16th Mar '10, 10:14am
Regular PP readers may be aware of the importance of the amino acid building block called leucine on muscle growth and metabolism. Alpha-hydroxyisocaproic acid (HICA) is closely related to leucine; HICA is an end product of leucine metabolism in human tissues such as muscle and connective tissue, and according to clinical and experimental studies, HICA appears to act as an ‘anti-catabolic’ substance. Now a new study by Finnish scientists has been looking at the effects of HICA supplementation on body composition, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and performance in athletes.
In this four-week, double blind study, 15 healthy male football players (average age 22 years) were divided into two groups; subjects in the HICA group received 500mg of HICA mixed with liquid three times a day for four weeks while the placebo group received an equivalent amount of an inert substance (maltodextrin) mixed with liquid three times a day for the same period.
The subjects in both groups underwent football training 3-4 times a week, performed strength training 1-2 times a week, and played one football game during the study. The subjects were also required to keep diaries on training, nutrition, and their symptoms of DOMS following training. Body composition was evaluated with an accurate technique known as ‘DXA’ before and after the four-week period, while muscle strength and running speeds were measured with field tests.
The results were fascinating. Those taking HICA very significantly increased their total body weight while maintaining a constant level of body fat (ie the gains in weight were from lean tissue such as muscle mass). Moreover, when they analysed the lean body mass of lower limbs, the researchers observed an average gain of 0.4kg in the HICA group but a loss of 0.15kg in the placebo group. Moreover, HICA supplementation decreased the whole body DOMS symptoms in the fourth week of the treatment compared to placebo.
It’s important not to read too much into just one study, but if confirmed, these results suggest that HICA supplementation could offer significant benefits for athletes who are either trying to add lean muscle mass or prevent lean tissue loss – eg following an injury or layoff.
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Jan 5;7(1):1. [Epub ahead of print]
