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HMB
What is HMB? b-Hydroxy b-methylbutyrate
(HMB) is a metabolite of the branch chain
amino acid leucine. It is claimed that HMB
decreases muscle protein breakdown and
increases muscle mass and strength
development and reduces muscle
damage/soreness.

What is HMB?

b-Hydroxy b-methylbutyrate (HMB) is a

metabolite of the branch chain amino acid
leucine. It is claimed that HMB decreases
muscle protein breakdown and increases
muscle mass and strength development and
reduces muscle damage/soreness.

HMB and Performance

Interest in HMB within sport emerged following

the publication of research suggesting greater
resistance training adaptations in response to
HMB supplementation. Researchers reported
that supplementation with either 1.5 or 3.0 g
per day of HMB had a favourable impact on
muscle protein breakdown and muscle
damage, with trends for enhanced strength and
hypertrophy. However, when data is combined
across several studies, the benefits of HMB
supplementation in response to resistance
training tend to be trivial for untrained
individuals and even less beneficial in trained
lifters.

Recommended dosing
strategy

HMB has a relatively short half-life in the blood

and so is typically prescribed in small doses of
split across the day.

Potential risks or side

effects in taking HMB

Short term HMB supplementation appears to

be safe. No studies on the safety of long term
HMB supplementation have been undertaken
although acute large doses appear to be free of
side effects, as does an intake of 3 grams per
day.

Summary

The potential for HMB supplementation to

enhance strength training adaptations appears
to be small in untrained individuals and
negligible in trained athletes. Given that the
protein synthetic response is much more
sensitive to nutrition interventions than protein
breakdown, athlete is advised to focus on
proven strategies such as post-exercise
ingestion of high biological value proteins rich
in leucine to maximize adaptation to the
resistance training stimulus. Speak to your local
Accredited Sports Dietitian if you want to learn
more.

For more information on this or other sports

nutrition topics, subscribe to our newsletter
or book to see an Accredited Sports Dietitian.

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