Use the Leucic Acid form known as HICA (alpha-hydroxy-isocaproic acid).
The Right Leucine
I first heard about a “leucine metabolite” for recovery and almost bought the wrong one. I learned that there are a few, and that HICA is the one that has the most interesting anti-catabolic research behind it. It’s a specific and unique molecule. By making sure the supplement I chose was the true, alpha-hydroxy-isocaproic acid form, I knew I was getting the actual ingredient from the studies, not a less effective or unrelated compound.
Stop thinking HICA is a powerful anabolic. Do use it as an anti-catabolic agent to reduce muscle protein breakdown.
The Muscle Protector
I first took HICA expecting it to be a powerful “anabolic” or muscle-builder. It wasn’t. I was using it for the wrong purpose. HICA is not a builder; it is a protector. Its primary, research-backed superpower is as an “anti-catabolic” agent. It doesn’t help you to build more muscle; it helps you to lose less muscle, especially during periods of high stress or a calorie deficit. It is a shield, not a sword.
Stop using HICA during a bulk. Do use it during a cutting phase or intense training block to help preserve muscle mass.
The Cutting Companion
I was on a “bulking” phase, eating a ton of food and taking HICA. It was a waste of money. When your body is in a huge calorie surplus, it’s already in a highly anti-catabolic state. You don’t need the extra protection. I learned to save HICA for when it really matters: during a “cutting” phase. When I was in a calorie deficit and at a high risk of losing my hard-earned muscle, HICA became my indispensable cutting companion, my shield against muscle loss.
The #1 secret for reducing muscle soreness and preserving muscle while dieting is HICA.
The Dieter’s Dream
I used to dread dieting. I would lose fat, but I would also lose a ton of my muscle and I would be cripplingly sore from my workouts because of the poor recovery. It was a miserable trade-off. Then I discovered the secret. HICA is the dieter’s dream. It works in two powerful ways. It helps to reduce the muscle-wasting effects of a calorie deficit, and it has a profound effect on reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It’s the secret to a leaner, less painful, and more successful cut.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about dieting is that muscle loss is inevitable.
The Myth of Muscle Loss
We’re taught that when you diet, losing muscle is just a part of the deal. You have to accept it. This is a lie. While it is a risk, it is not an inevitability. With a smart, high-protein diet and intelligent, targeted supplementation, you can fight to preserve every single ounce of your hard-earned muscle. A powerful anti-catabolic agent like HICA is a direct refutation of this lie. It proves that you do not have to be a passive victim of muscle loss.
I wish I knew about HICA during my first contest prep. I could have held onto more muscle.
The Contest Prep Regret
I can still remember the pain of my first bodybuilding contest prep. I got incredibly lean, but by the end, I was a string bean. I had lost so much of the muscle I had worked so hard to build. It was heartbreaking. I wish with all my heart that I had known about the muscle-preserving power of HICA then. The knowledge that a simple, non-hormonal supplement could have acted as a shield for my muscles would have been an absolute game-changer for my physique and my sanity.
I’m just going to say it: HICA is like HMB’s more effective, lesser-known cousin.
The Better Cousin
Everyone in the supplement world knows about HMB. It’s famous, but the results are notoriously underwhelming for most people. HICA is its lesser-known, but in my experience, far more effective, cousin. They are both metabolites of the amino acid leucine, but HICA seems to have a more direct and noticeable effect on reducing muscle breakdown and soreness. While HMB gets all the marketing attention, the smart money is on the quiet, more effective cousin.
99% of people in a cutting phase make this one mistake: focusing only on fat loss and not actively trying to preserve muscle with tools like HICA.
The Muscle Myopia
A person starts a diet. Their entire, myopic focus is on one thing: making the number on the scale go down. They are making a huge mistake. They are so focused on fat loss that they are completely ignoring the equally important goal of muscle preservation. They are not using any tools, like a high-protein diet or an anti-catabolic supplement like HICA, to protect their hard-earned muscle. The end result is that they just become a smaller, weaker version of themselves.
This one habit of taking HICA during a calorie deficit will change how much muscle you keep forever.
The Preservation Protocol
I used to fear cutting. Now, I have a protocol. I started a new, simple habit. The moment I enter a calorie deficit, I start supplementing with HICA. This one, simple act has completely changed my results. It has become my personal insurance policy against muscle loss. This “preservation protocol” has allowed me to get leaner than ever before, while holding onto my strength and my muscle fullness. It has taken the fear out of dieting.
If you’re still just cutting calories without anti-catabolic support, you’re losing hard-earned muscle tissue.
The Catabolic Cascade
When you are in a calorie deficit, your body enters a catabolic state. It is looking for energy, and your hard-earned muscle is an easy target. You are losing. You are not just losing fat; you are actively losing the very tissue that drives your metabolism and gives you your strength. By not using a powerful, anti-catabolic tool like HICA to help protect that tissue, you are willingly allowing the catabolic cascade to wash your gains away.