Trials Support New Form of HMB for Sport

An “improved” delivery form of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) has impressed in three clinical trials on athletes. Called HMB Free Acid, the new HMB is said to be more readily available to human tissues than currently available calcium HMB.

HMB is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine, and researchers believe it can prevent protein breakdown after exercise.

In a series of three clinical trials, researchers assessed the effects of HMB Free Acid on a variety of sports performance factors, including strength, power, muscle damage, and readiness to train following intense training sessions.

The first study involved 12 weeks of HMB Free Acid supplementation and concluded that HMB Free Acid can enhance strength, power, and muscle growth. The second study on short-term supplementation concluded that HMB Free Acid can blunt increased muscle damage following high-volume, muscle-damaging training. The third study concluded that HMB supplementation during two weeks of high-volume, low-recovery training may prevent overreaching, the period during which muscle soreness arises when the muscles are not allowed to rest adequately between exercise sessions.

Metabolic Technologies Inc. (Ames, IA) sponsored the new studies on HMB Free Acid. Results were presented at the International Society for Sports Nutrition Conference in June.