β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate and Its Use in Athletics

Abstract

Nutritional supplements are widely used by patients and athletes around the world for many different reasons. Many companies are thriving on this billion-dollar industry with little proof that these substances do what they are reported or suggested to do. Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) is a relatively new supplement on the ergogenic landscape. Studies of HMB supplementation have shown minimal gains in strength and lean body mass in specific populations, mainly untrained athletes and patients with wasting syndromes. HMB use in those athletes involved in regular high-intensity exercise has not been proven to be beneficial when multiple variables are evaluated. Unlike other ergogenics, with HMB no adverse events have been reported in association with short-term use. Despite these findings, HMB cannot be recommended as an ergogenic until further studies in larger groups reproduce early data. This review summarizes current literature on HMB, and provides the reader with information to better educate and treat patients and athletes.

Performance-Enhancing Substances in Sports: A Review of the Literature

“…It is believed to attenuate protein breakdown after workouts and has recently gained greater attention among athletes [88]. A 2013 NCAA survey study reported a 0.2 % rate of use among all student athletes [13].…”

Ergogenic Aids and Supplements

“…Several studies supported the efficacy of HMB supplementation to improve sport performance by enhancing recovery [50,51] , lean body mass [50,52] , strength [53] , power [54] , and aerobic performance [55] in athletes. However, other studies documented a more evident improvement in untrained subjects with respect to athletes [56][57][58][59] . For example, Palisin and Stacy [59] reported that HMB supplementation determined gains in strength and lean body mass in patients with wasting syndromes.…”

“…However, other studies documented a more evident improvement in untrained subjects with respect to athletes [56][57][58][59] . For example, Palisin and Stacy [59] reported that HMB supplementation determined gains in strength and lean body mass in patients with wasting syndromes. Rowlands and Thomson [58] analyzed the effectiveness of HMB supplementation (range 1.5-6.0 g/day) on strength, body composition, and muscle damage in trained and untrained young men.…”

Quantification of β-hydroxymethylbutyrate and leucine by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry at different situations and stages of a rodent life

“…HMB functions are well known. It is an anti-catabolic agent associated with protein synthesis and attenuation of protein degradation [3,4], which makes it suitable for increasing strength and muscle mass in sport nutrition [5][6][7][8][9], as well as for clinical situations of increased protein degradation (cachexia), decreased rate of muscle protein synthesis (inactivity), or alteration of both (sarcopenia) [10][11][12]. In addition, it is a substrate for the synthesis of cholesterol needed to form and stabilize sarcolemmas in muscle [5], it has immune modulator properties [13,14], it downregulates apoptosis during immobilization and recovery [15] and also it produces improvement in oxidative metabolism [16].…”