About Epicomp

Epicomp is a four-ingredient body recomposition blend built around four well-characterized actives: 225mg (-)-epicatechin, 125 mg beta-ecdysterone, 125mg ursolic acid and 250 mg freeze-dried Sanghuangporus sanghuang liquid culture mycelium standardized to 1.5% hispidin. Together, this stack supports lean muscle growth and faster recovery between training sessions, while boosting the cellular energy and endurance that carry you through hard training. Two capsules deliver the full serving, and you can take it with or without food.

Our Epicomp Story

Most people already know epicatechin and beta-ecdysterone. They have become staples for a lot of us at Nootropics Depot. Epicatechin works upstream by inhibiting myostatin, freeing up growth pathways like mTOR and Akt, while beta-ecdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone) engages the Mas receptor and estrogen receptor beta to help preserve muscle. What was missing was a partner that worked from a different angle. That is where Sanghuangporus sanghuang came in, born from the same advanced liquid culture process behind our Erinamax lion's mane. In suspended bioreactor culture we control the chemistry and parameters so the mycelium natively produces high levels of bioactives, in this case hispidin, rather than erinacine A.

If epicatechin is the accelerator for muscle signaling, hispidin-rich Sanghuangporus is the shield. Pharmacological work on the standardized SS-MN4 strain we use points to a protective anti-atrophy mechanism: hispidin suppresses expression of MuRF-1 and Atrogin-1, the markers that tag muscle tissue for breakdown during stress and heavy training. It also up-regulates fast twitch genes Myh2 and Myh7, and in animal fatigue models increased muscle glycogen storage by 55.6%. Two complementary myostatin angles, upstream from epicatechin and downstream from hispidin, are what convinced us this belonged in one formula.

The idea crystallized on a hike. Our owner Paul had spent a year and a half running ND and raising a newborn, with little time to train, when the family set out on a favorite trail near Arizona's Mount Humphreys. The trailhead sits around 9,500 feet, a big jump from our facility at roughly 1,181 feet in the Valley of the Sun, so mild altitude issues were expected. That morning he beta tested a Sanghuangporus sanghuang sample alongside his usual stack of Eurycomax, Cistamax, and Tribugen, strapped his son into a backpack carrier, and started up. The fatigue and breathing trouble he braced for never arrived. He felt fantastic the whole way, and by the halfway point he knew this was something we had to bring to Nootropics Depot.

Benefits

• Sustained Physical Energy: Epicatechin drives mitochondrial biogenesis, so you feel more usable energy through demanding sessions instead of an early crash.
• Deeper Endurance: By supporting PGC-1α signaling and glycogen loading, this stack helps you keep moving when you'd normally start fading.
• Stronger, Fuller Muscles: Beta-ecdysterone and epicatechin support lean muscle growth, so training turns into visible, tangible gains over time.
• Faster Recovery Between Sessions: Ursolic acid and hispidin-rich Sanghuang help you bounce back quicker, so soreness fades and you return to training feeling fresh.
• Resilience Under Stress: The anti-atrophy support means your hard-earned muscle holds up during heavy training loads.

Put together, Epicomp is built for people who want to feel the difference in the gym and out on the trail: cleaner energy, longer endurance, and muscle that grows and holds through the toughest days. It's a recomposition stack you can actually feel working, session after session.

Quality and Standardization

• Epicatechin content: Epicomp delivers 225mg of the (-)-epicatechin isomer, the biologically active form. This is derived from 250 mg of Green Tea extract standardized to 90% (-)-epicatechin.
• Beta-ecdysterone content: Epicomp delivers 125 mg of beta-ecdysterone. This is derived from 250 mg of Cyanotis arachnoidea root extract standardized to 50% beta-ecdysterone.
• Ursolic acid content: Epicomp delivers 125 mg of ursolic acid. This is derived from 250 mg of Rosemary extract standardized to 50% ursolic acid.
• Sanghuangporus sanghuang mycelium content: Our freeze-dried Sanghuangporus sanghuang mycelium is grown via advanced liquid culture, dosed at 250 mg, and standardized to 1.5% hispidin.
• Identity and purity testing: Every batch is tested in-house by HPLC to verify standardization, alongside screening for heavy metals and microbial contaminants.

Mechanism of Action

• Phytoecdysteroid signaling: Beta-ecdysterone acts through estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and Mas receptor pathways associated with skeletal muscle hypertrophy.
• Myostatin Inhibition: Both epicatechin and hispidin result in myostatin inhibition though complimentary pathways (upstream for epicatechin, downstream for hispidin).
• Mitochondrial biogenesis: Epicatechin upregulates PGC-1 alpha signaling, driving formation of new mitochondria for greater aerobic capacity.
• Massive glycogen boost: Sanghuangporus sanghuang liquid culture mycelium (SS-MN4) has been shown to increase muscle glycogen storage by an astonishing 55.6%!
• Triterpenoid muscle support: Ursolic acid influences pathways tied to muscle maintenance and protection against atrophy signaling.
• Absorption support: Sodium caprate acts on the intestinal barrier to help support uptake of the accompanying actives.

Overview of the Science

The central rationale for building Epicomp around (-)-epicatechin comes from its influence on myostatin, one of the primary brakes on skeletal muscle growth. A small human proof-of-concept trial found that seven days of (-)-epicatechin raised plasma follistatin while lowering myostatin, shifting the balance toward the growth-permissive side of the equation [1]. A systematic review of epicatechin research points to a consistent theme across models: inhibitory action on myostatin expression alongside effects on atrophy-related pathways, which may help free up mTOR and Akt signaling that supports lean muscle [3].

Beyond myostatin, epicatechin has been studied for its role in muscle regulation as people age. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in older adults using an (-)-epicatechin-enriched extract from Camellia sinensis reported improvements in measures of muscle mass and function, even without a concurrent exercise program [4]. This is consistent with other research indicating epicatechin may help support healthy muscle signaling and the cellular machinery behind physical energy, which is why it anchors the endurance side of this formula.

The newer and less familiar piece of Epicomp is hispidin-rich Sanghuangporus sanghuang mycelia. Research on the standardized SS-MN4 strain, the same one used here, examined two mouse models: one for disuse atrophy and one for fatigue. That work reported suppression of the atrophy-related genes MuRF-1 and Atrogin-1, up-regulation of the fast-twitch genes Myh2 and Myh7, and improved muscle endurance, with findings that included substantially increased muscle glycogen storage in the fatigue model [5].

Ecdysterone has drawn attention as a non-conventional anabolic agent, with research suggesting performance enhancement following supplementation in humans [6] and mechanistic work indicating that estrogen receptor beta is involved in the skeletal muscle hypertrophy it induces [7]. Broader reviews have examined ecdysteroids as a novel class of anabolic agents [8], and animal studies suggest that ecdysteroid-based compounds may help support myoblast differentiation and muscle function [9].

Ursolic acid has been studied for its role in muscle maintenance and recovery. Research in rats indicates that concurrent ursolic acid treatment with low-intensity exercise may help improve markers of muscle atrophy [10], and additional models suggest it may support muscle performance and mitigate atrophy [11]. Work on related plant extracts points toward effects on inflammatory response and muscle recovery [12], while reviews describe ursolic acid and its analogues as triterpenoids with broad health relevance [13].

[1] Gutierrez-Salmean G et al. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2014.

[2] Garcia-Merino JA et al. Food & Function. 2020.

[3] German IJS et al. Nutrients. 2024.

[4] Seo H et al. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021.

[5] Li IC et al. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. 2023.

[6] Isenmann E et al. Archives of Toxicology. 2019.

[7] Parr MK et al. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. 2014.

[8] Parr MK et al. Biology of Sport. 2014.

[9] Serova M et al. Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle. 2023.

[10] Kim JC et al. Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2018.

[11] Miro C et al. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025.

[12] Hsieh TJ et al. Antioxidants. 2024.

[13] Nguyen HN et al. Antioxidants. 2021.

Ingredients

LACTOSE FREE

GLUTEN FREE

NON-GMO

VEGAN