KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Anyone who trains with intent learns, sooner or later, that the body keeps score.
The thrill of a climb, the easy rhythm of a run, the quiet satisfaction of lifting a little heavier each week — all of it is followed by the dull reminders the next morning: shoulders that protest, fingers that feel strangely ancient, a fatigue that refuses to be reasoned with.
This was the world Leonard Yap found himself in. A former chef who ventured into food science and eventually spent a decade as a practising dietitian, he watched athletes — himself included — push their limits while neglecting the slow, unglamorous work of repair.
“My peers and I noticed our fingers and bodies didn’t bounce back as fast,” he recalls of his own climbing sessions. “I also saw similar needs in rehab or physio settings.”
The pattern nagged at him: high-performance ambition paired with low-performance rest. And from this small but persistent frustration, Hojū — his post-workout protein business — took shape.
“The name Hojū comes from the Japanese kanji (and classical Chinese usage) for ‘to replenish’,” Yap explains — a word that seemed to capture both the tenderness of tending to one’s body and the discipline of doing so consistently, not reactively.
Hojū’s first product, Cura, attempts to bring that philosophy into a single-serve sachet. “Cura is our answer to better recovery. Every product we make must be evidence-based and great-tasting,” Yap says.
The formulation is uncommonly layered for what is still, legally, a protein powder: type II collagen, curcumin, ashwagandha, BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) and whey concentrate, each chosen for “recovery, joint comfort and sleep support.”
What might sound clinical is balanced by flavour profiles crafted with an unexpected elegance.
“Passionfruit & Mango has a light, citrus-zingy profile: mango-lassi vibes, best served cold,” Yap notes.
The alternative is more surprising: “Golden Chai Masala is, to my knowledge, the first chai-masala protein in the market; it drinks well warm, which our healthcare and older users appreciate.”
Climbers were — and still are — a core part of Hojū’s early audience, not least because they offered unfiltered insights about what hurts and when.
“Across sports, people love training but often underinvest in recovery,” Yap observes. “In climbing — where injury incidence is high — athletes reported soreness and finger or shoulder aches the next day.”
This shaped the way Cura was built. “We designed Cura to be future-proof and holistic — not just muscle repair, but joint health and sleep,” he says, pointing to the trio of collagen, curcumin and ashwagandha.
Education was always going to be an uphill task. Consumers recognise protein; they may not immediately grasp “recovery blend.”
Yap’s approach has been selective rather than scattershot. “Regulatory-wise we’re still labelled as a protein product, but our education focuses on the broader recovery ritual,” he explains.
“Best results come from selective, values-aligned KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) or athletes who model maturity in training and recovery. They talk about why recovery matters, not just the product, and that message travels well in their communities.”
In other words, Hojū is not trying to convert the uninterested; it is trying to give language and tools to those already reflecting on performance, injury and ageing.
A brand born in climbing gyms now finds itself in very different spaces: CrossFit boxes, running clubs, physio clinics and even eldercare programmes.
“We now serve Hyrox, running, ultramarathons, Ironman/triathletes, and a growing physio segment, e.g. sarcopenia and arthritis support,” Yap says.
Maintaining authenticity while widening the audience is a balancing act. Hojū’s solution is to stay close to the people who shape training culture.
“As a small brand, we invest in stakeholder education — KOLs, physios, orthopaedics, and community leaders — through on-the-ground, human interactions,” he shares. “It’s not the most ‘scalable,’ but it creates sticky experiences and loyal month-to-month users.”
There is a certain logic here: if the brand is about replenishing the body, the business is about replenishing trust.
Pharmacies and mass retail remain in sight but not yet in reach. Yap is measured about growth.
“We’re focused on deepening our user base, building capacity, and broadening the product portfolio first,” he says.
Velocity and repeat purchase come before shelf presence. “When we’re ready — with stronger velocity, repeat purchase, and a fuller line that gives us economies of scale — we’ll enter mass retail and pharmacies.”
For now, Hojū’s ambitions are directed toward improving user outcomes both “locally and abroad, and expanding the range thoughtfully.”
In a category dominated by loud claims and gym-floor bravado, Hojū’s proposition is almost understated: recovery as a daily ritual, not an emergency measure.
Or, as Yap’s favourite kanji puts it, simply a return to wholeness.
Hojū
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