HUGE MUSCLE BUILDING POTENTIAL

No, that¹s not what HMB stands for...
technically. But HMB is a huge
contributing factor to building, preserving,
and maintaining lean muscle tissue!

HMB, or beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate is a metabolite (a substance produced by a metabolic process) of the branched chain amino acid (BCAA) leucine. Leucine is considered uniquely potent because it is metabolized in the muscle tissue, instead of in the liver. After metabolization, leucine can help directly build new proteins or be burned as fuel to produce energy. It may possess a higher usability rate because of this direct metabolization.

Once metabolized, the resulting HMB may play an important role in the proper synthesis of protein. Optimum protein metabolism helps maximize fat loss during diet and exercise, preserve lean muscle tissue, and helps diminish lean tissue damage that occurs during high impact exercise.

Only one known credible study to date of HMB on humans has been performed to try to determine its on strength and muscle gains. This study involved 41 individuals divided into three random groups. Each group was supplemented with different levels of HMB intake (0,1.5, and 3 g HMB/day) and two protein levels (117 g/day and 175 g/day). In all of the groups the subjects lifted weights for 1.5 hours and three days a week for three weeks.

In a second study, The researchers used 28 individuals and divided them randomly into two levels of HMB supplementation (0 and 3g HMB/day). In both groups, this group lifted weights for 2-3 hours and 6 days per week for 7 weeks.

Here's what the research yielded: In study number 1, the test subjects showed a significant decrease in muscle catabolization (muscle proteolysis). Also significant was an increase in the amount of weights lifted with the HMB supplementation when compared with the unsupplemented group.

The second study also revealed some positive results. It was observed that lean mass was significantly increased in HMB supplemented subjects compared with the unsupplemented group. Thus it was ultimately concluded that supplementation with either 1.5 or 3g HMB/day can partly prevent exercise-induced proteolysis and/or muscle damage, and the dietary supplementation of HMB can result in larger gains in muscle-mass associated with resistance training.1

Diets rich in alfalfa, corn silage, grapefruit and catfish contain relatively high concentrations of HMB.

1. Nissen S, Sharp R, Ray M, et al. Effect of leucine metabolite beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate on muscle metabolism during resistive-exercise training. J Appl Physiol 1996;81:2095–104.