Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Alpha hydroxyisocaproic acid (HICA) is a metabolite of the branched-chain amino acid leucine. Its use to support muscle tone or to treat lack of muscle tone has some scientific basis, though evidence is limited and not robust. Several small human studies and animal experiments have explored HICA's effects on muscle mass and recovery. For example, a 2010 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that Finnish wrestlers who supplemented with HICA experienced a slight increase in lean body mass and reduced delayed onset muscle soreness compared to placebo. Another study in soccer players reported less muscle loss during intensive training. The proposed mechanism involves HICA’s potential to decrease muscle protein breakdown and support muscle protein synthesis, likely due to its relationship with leucine metabolism, which is known to stimulate the mTOR pathway involved in muscle growth. However, the scale of these studies is small, and the improvements observed are modest. There is no robust evidence that HICA treats clinical conditions of poor muscle tone (hypotonia), and its benefits appear most relevant to athletic populations aiming to preserve or slightly increase muscle mass during periods of heavy training. Major medical guidelines and reviews do not currently recommend HICA for treatment of muscle tone disorders. Thus, while there is preliminary scientific rationale and limited evidence, further research is needed to draw firm conclusions.

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