Supplement Corner: HMB

beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate.

HMB has  gained a lot of popularity as a dietary supplement in the health and fitness community for its potential to aid muscle growth and recovery.

HMB does occur naturally in the body – when your body breaks down the branched chain amino acid, leucine, that’s essential for protein synthesis and muscle repair

But. As with all naturally occurring substances, the body just doesn't produce enough of it for our needs, so we must supplement HMB to realize its effect.

Several studies looked at the effects of taking HMB with creatine in resistance trained athletes and found that taking 3 grams of HMB, along with varying doses of creatine, significantly improved strength and high intensity exercise performance. It also aided muscle growth and reduced body fat.

These studies demonstrated that taking supplemental HMB  can affect lean body mass by reducing muscle protein breakdown and increasing protein synthesis. 

This not only helps promote muscle growth and strength gains, but HMB can also help you recover better.

The recommend dose of HMB is 3g per day, split into equal doses of 1g, taken throughout the day. On training days, I recommend taking one dose immediately after your workout, with the other two doses taken with  your next two meals. On non-training days, just take in 1 gram with three of your meals