HMB works best as a strength builder for beginners. For athletes who are already at an advanced level, the supplement no longer serves its purpose, especially during a bulking phase.
Because of its high price, bodybuilders mostly use it when calorie intake from food is low and training load is high, that is, in the pre-contest period. In that case HMB helps preserve muscle, which is the main benefit of this product. It has been established that muscle catabolism decreases considerably when HMB is present in the blood.
Dr. Seven Nissen and Dr. John Rathmacher of the University of Iowa have found that in beginners who take three grams of HMB a day, muscle mass increases by 0.4 kg in one month compared with those who don’t use HMB. Even a slight fat loss has been observed. It is worth remembering that these doctors hold the HMB patent, and the product’s success affects their finances. Nevertheless, HMB’s effect has also been confirmed by other universities in the United States. So the effect of HMB is detectable primarily in beginners.
Athletes with many years of training behind them generally do not get the same results from this product as beginners do. HMB was tested on American pro football players, and within a month no results at all were noticeable.
In summary, HMB’s effect has been observed only in beginners. For advanced athletes, it is recommended only during a diet, to prevent catabolism caused by a shortage of carbohydrates.
P.S. It can’t be ruled out that HMB will start to have an effect on advanced athletes if the doses are increased several times over. In that case, however, the monthly cost of the product becomes so high that whether it pays off is questionable.
Author: FLEX (translated by Mikk-Alvar Olle)
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