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Table 1 HMB effects on indices of skeletal muscle damage and breakdown

From: International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB)

Experiment

Subjects

Protocol

Diet control

Duration/dose

Additional supplements

Timing

Damage indices

Outcome

Nissen 1996 [7]

Untrained, college-aged males

Progressive Free Weights

Yes

3 weeks, 1.5 or 3 grams per day HMB-Ca

No

1 gram with each of 3 meals, No timing relative to training

CK, LDH, 3-MH

With HMB-Ca CK, LDH, and 3-MH all decreased in a dose dependent manner with 20–60 % declines in CK and LDH and 20 % declines in 3-MH, the marker of protein breakdown

Jowko 2001 [10]

Active, college-aged males

Progressive Free Weights

No

3 weeks, 3 grams per day HMB-Ca

20 grams creatine per day for 7 days followed by 10 grams per day for 14 days

1 gram with each of 3 meals, No timing relative to training

CK and Urine and Plasma Urea

26-46 % decrease in serum and urine urea nitrogen with HMB-Ca and HMB-Ca lowered CK by 189 %

Kreider 1999 [15]

NCAA Football Players

Instructed to not change current training Regimen

No

28 days, 3 grams per day HMB-Ca

No

1 gram with each of 3 meals, No timing relative to training

CK

No Effect

Paddon-Jones 2001 [16]

Untrained college-aged males

1 isokinetic bout of exercise for elbow flexors

No

6 days prior to bout, 3 grams per day HMB-Ca

No

1 gram with each of 3 meals, No timing relative to training

CK, Soreness, Arm girth, Strength

No Effect

Wilson 2009 [17]

Untrained college-aged males

1 isokinetic, eccentric bout for knee extensors and flexors

Yes

3 grams HMB-Ca

No

60 minutes pre vs. Immediately post exercise

CK, LDH, Soreness

Pre Exercise HMB-Ca: Prevented the rise in LDH and tended to decrease soreness. Post exercise HMB-Ca, No effects suggesting a possible effect of dosage timing on outcomes.

Kreider 2000 [18]

NCAA Football Players

Offseason Strength and Conditioning Program

No

3 grams HMB-Ca

No

1 gram with each of 3 meals, No timing relative to training

CK, LDH

No Effect

Knitter 2000 [11]

Trained runners 20–50 yrs of age who ran a minimum of , 48 km per week

20 km run

No

6 weeks, 3 grams per day HMB-Ca

No

1 gram with each of 3 meals, No timing relative to training

CK

HMB-Ca decreased serum CK by approximately 50 %

Hoffman 2004 [19]

NCAA Football players

Football camp

No

10 days, 3 grams per day HMB-Ca

No

1 gram with each of 3 meals, No timing relative to training

CK, soreness

No Effect

Panton et al. 2000 [20]

Men and women, divided into untrained and resistance trained (> 6 months), 20–40 yrs of age

Monitored 4 wk high intensity progressive resistance training

No

4 weeks, 3 grams per day HMB-Ca

No

1 gram with each of 3 meals, No timing relative to training

CK

CK increased 16 and 46 % in men and women, respectively, in the placebo group. In the HMB group CK increased by 3 % and decreased by 12 % in men and women, respectively

Van Someran 2005 [21]

Untrained college-aged males

Eccentric bout of free weight exercise for elbow flexors

No

14 days, 3 grams per day

0.3 g alpha-ketoisocaproic acid per day

1 gram with each of 3 meals, No timing relative to training

CK, Soreness

Completely prevented exercise induced rise in CK, and blunted the increase in soreness