At present, HMB salt is widely used in animal nutrition and sports nutrition
industry[1-2]. In recent years, clinical application research paid high attention
with HMB salt, and lot research shows that CaHMB can prevent muscle loss
and enhance synthesize muscle protein[3-4,10-12]. Many consumptions like
tumour, sarcopenia, trauma & burn, all accompany with muscle loss. HMB
salt is applied to clinical enteral nutrition support by several experiments[5-9].
Potential health benefits:
1) Muscle construction, strength, recovery and exercise performance
One systematic review searched through hundreds of HMB-related studies
and identified 18 clinical trials that focused on exercise and muscle growth.
According to the review, the potential benefits of HMB include[13]:
• Increases in muscle mass
• Increases in strength
• Reduction of muscle damage
• Increases in anaerobic and aerobic performance
• Increases in lean body mass.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) has also performed a
critical analysis of the scientific literature. The ISSN concluded that HMB[14]:
• Reduce the muscle injury and enhance recovery for the muscle injury
caused by sports
• Benefits for athlete to diet HMB close to a workout
• Is most effective when taken for 2 weeks before heavy exercise
• Will enhance muscle hypertrophy, strength and power, when doing
appropriate exercise with daily HMB supplement 38mg/kg・BMI
• Increases lean body mass(LBM) and functionality in the elderly,sedentary
populations
• Inhibite proteolysis and increase protein synthesis[15]
2) Preserve muscle Loss
A number of clinical trials have found that supplementation with HMB may
help prevent muscle loss caused by various conditions.
• Preserve or increase lean body mass and muscle strength for the older
adults who usually accompany with age-related muscle loss
• Preventing muscle atrophy during bed rest
• Promoting wound healing following surgical incisions, radiotherapy-induced
injuries, pressure ulcers, diabetic food ulcers, burns or infection stress
states
• Reducing the loss of muscle mass, function, and strength that occurs in
hypercatabolic disease states such as cancer cachexia or AIDS
How does HMB work:
Research shows that HMB may have anti-catabolic, anabolic, and
regenerative effects on muscle[14, 13].
The human body is constantly building and breaking down proteins in the
muscles. This continual process is how the body maintains its metabolism
and energy[14].
When the body is in a state of building, it’s referred to as anabolism. On the
other hand, when the body breaks down molecules, it’s called catabolism.
When anabolism is greater than catabolism, there is a net gain in muscle
protein[16, 14].
1) Anti-Catabolic Effects
Several studies suggest that HMB slows down catabolism and the
degradation of muscle[17, 18].
HMB may reduce catabolism by blocking proteasomes (proteins that break
down other proteins). This may explain why HMB appears to be especially
effective in catabolic states, such as fasting, aging, and disease[18, 17, 19]
2) Anabolic Effects
HMB also may have anabolic effects, to a lesser extent.
Research shows that HMB stimulates muscle protein creation through
increases in growth hormone, IGF-1, and the mTOR pathway[20,21,22].
Considering the way that HMB is thought to work, it is likely to be more
beneficial to athletes that experience muscle damage and soreness on a
regular basis. This is especially relevant for pre-season training, and
constantly varied training methods such as CrossFit.
3) Other Effects
Research also shows that HMB may promote the growth of satellite cells,
which are the precursors to muscle cells. This may in part explain the
regenerative effects that HMB has on muscle[22,14].
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of HMB may be linked to
cytokines. More specifically, HMB has been shown to alter the effects of TNFalpha
and IFN-gamma[23].
References:
[1] Siwicki AK, Fuller JC JR, Nissen S, et al. Effect of HMB on in Vitro
proliferativeresponses of sheatfish and catfish lym-phocytes stimulated by IIlltogens [J ].
Acta Veterinaria Brno, 2004(73) :119-122.
[2] Wilson JM,Lowery RP, Joy JM, et al. The effects of 12 weeks of beta —hydroxy-betamethlbutyrate
free acid supplementation on muscle mass, strength, and power in
resistance-trained individuals: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled stury [J].
Europe Journal of Applied Physiology，2014,114(6) :1217-1227.
[3］乔璇，张海军，齐广等β-羟基β-丁酸甲酯调控肌肉代谢的研究进展［J]. 动物营养学
报，2011,23 (12): 2064-2070.
[4] NISSEN S, SHARP R, RAY M, et al. Effect of leucine metabolite β-hydroxy-β-
methylbutyrate on muscle metabolism during resistance-exercise training [ J]. Journal of
Applied Physiology, 1996,81(5) :2095-2104.
[5] May PE, Barber A, D，Olimpio JT， et al. Reveral of cance-related wasting using oral
supplementation with acornbination of beta-hydroxy-beta-methybutyrate， arginine, and
glutamine [ J] . The American Journal of Surgery，2002,183 (4) :471-479.
[6] Berk L, James J, Schwartz A, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
of a beta-hydroxyl-beta-methybuyrate, glutamine，and arginine mixture for the treatment
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[7] Clark RH, Feleke G, Din M, et al Nutritional treatment for acquiredimmunodeficiency
virus-associated wasting using beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, glutamine, and arginine:
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Enteral Nutrition，2000, 24 (3):133-139.
[8] Rathnnache JA, Nissen S, Panton L, et al. Supplementation with a combination of betahydroxy-
beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), arginine，glutamine is safe and could improve
hematological parameters[J] . Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 2004，28(2):65
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[9] Kuhls DA, Rathmacher, JA, Musngi MD, et al. Beta－hydroxy-beta-methybutyrate
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Critical Care, 2007,62(1) :125-131.
[10] NISSEN S L, ABUMRAD N N Nutritional role of the leucine metabolite β-hydroxy-β-
methylbutyrate (HMB) [J]. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 1997，8(6):300-311.
[11] OSTASZEWSKI P, KOSTIUK S, et al. The leucine metabolite β-hydroxy-β-
methylbutyrate (HMB) modifies protein turnover in muscles of laboratory and dosmestic
chickens in vitri [ J] . Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 2000,84(1/2) :1-8.
[12] ELEY H L, RUSSELL S T, BAXTER J H, et al. Signaling pathways initiated by betahydroxy-
beta-methylbutyrate to attenuate the depression of protein synthesis in skeletal
muscle in response to cachectic stimuli [J]. America Jomnal of Physiology; Endocrinology
and Metabolism, 2007, 293：923-931.
[13] Holeček M. Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate supplementation and skeletal muscle in
healthy and muscle-wasting conditions. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2017;8(4):529‐
541. doi:10.1002/jcsm.12208.
[14] Wilson JM, Fitschen PJ, Campbell B, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition
Position Stand: beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB). J Int Soc Sports Nutr.
2013;10(1):6. Published 2013 Feb 2. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-6.
[15] Jacob M Wilson, Peter J Fitschen, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition
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[16] Gannon, N.P., Vaughan, R.A. Leucine-induced anabolic-catabolism: two sides of the
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