Brandon Fraser !

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11/7/17 !
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NTR 401
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The supplement industry is a billion dollar industry with little regulation of the quality of
products. According to the American Council on Science and Health, more than half of
Americans take some form of supplement for their health. This is of concern to consumers who
arent aware of the quality and purity of ingredients. However, some supplements sold at these
stores can have a substantial effect when taken appropriately, and give athletes an extra edge.
One of the essential amino acids, leucine, is responsible for most of the anabolic effects of the
protein we consume. It turns out that leucines effects are tied to its conversion, HMB. B-
hydroxy-B-methylbutyrate (HMB) is a metabolite of leucine that is naturally produced in the
skeletal muscle. Depending on the diet, the can body produce 0.3 to 1 gram of HMB per day in
muscle tissue (Talleyrand et al. 1993). It is found in both plants and animals and is particularly
concentrated in alfalfa, corn silage, grapefruit and catfish. Current studies show HMB
supplementation may effective in the treatment of muscle wasting, increasing myogenesis,
reducing muscle apoptosis , and having a positive effect on muscle protein synthesis( Rossi,
DIntrono, Rubele et al.2017). These effects from supplementing with HMB could give athletes a
greater advantage during performance and better muscle building potential. According to the
NCAA, HMB is safe to use by athletes but some dietary supplements may cause a positive drug
test result.The article written by Michalski and Jeszka, The effect of a 12-week HMB
Supplementation on Highly-Trained Combat Sports Athletes ," was published in 2017 in The
National Library of Medicine. This article portrays the effects of HMB supplementation on
highly trained athletes, and the purpose of the study conducted was to identify changes in body
composition, aerobic, and anaerobic capacity by supplementing with HMB.
A total of 57 males who were well trained in combat sports such as wrestling, judokas, and
Brazilian jiu-jitsu for an average of seven years participated in this study. The subjects were from
Poland and bias was eliminated by choosing athletes from various combat sports with different
specificities. Over the course of a 12 week study, the effect of HMB supplementation was
assessed in randomized crossover double-blind tests. In order to be placed in the placebo or
control group, athletes were subjected to a randomization procedure based on their percentage of
lean body mass. The control group received 3 capsules daily of Ca-HMB, each capsule
containing 1000mg of HMB. The placebo group only received a capsule of maltodextrin, three
times per day. The control and placebo group did not alter their nutrition, lifestyle , or specificity
of training. In order to have the participants adhere to their protocol, they were required to meet
with a dietician, record supplement logs, and even hand in their empty supplement packets. For
the entire duration of 12 weeks, all athletes were required to workout a minimum of six days,
three of which included high intensity combat sport training.
In order to determine the effects of HMB supplementation, tests were administered to the
placebo and control group before and after the 12 week study. The tests included an evaluation
of body composition, aerobic capacity and anaerobic capacity. Bioelectric impedance was used
to determine body composition, and the subjects were required to follow an overnight fasting
protocol and refrain from exercising 18 hours prior to obtain the most reliable results. In the
control group, fat-free mass increased (p=.049) while also decreasing fat mass (p=.016) at the
same time.These results indicate a statistically significant correlation from the supplementation
of HMB. Following the 12 week study of HMB supplementation, ventilatory threshold increased
significantly in comparison to the placebo administration(p < .0001). Anaerobic capacity was
assessed using the Wingate test, and each test lasted for 30 seconds of an all out sprint on the
cycle. In comparison to the placebo group, a significant increase in anaerobic peak power (p <
0.001), average power ( p < 0.01), maximum speed (< 0.001), and post-exercise lactate
concentrations (p < 0.0001) was observed.
By knowing the mechanism of action of HMB and the idea of protein balance, we can
understand why supplementing with HMB leads to the results found in this study. Protein
balance is protein synthesis minus protein breakdown. When protein synthesis exceeds protein
breakdown, hypertrophy of muscle tissue occurs. Wilson et al.(2008) found that HMB directly
stimulates protein synthesis through the mTOR kinase pathway. HMB also promotes cholesterol
synthesis in the muscle. Cholesterol is often demonized for its negative effects on the heart, but it
is a precursor for anabolic hormones and is crucial for their production. HMB induces the rate
limiting enzyme, HMG CoA reductase, which is in charge of cholesterol synthesis.This would
explain the significant increase(p=.053) of testosterone in the HMB supplemented group after the
12 weeks. HMG CoA can also be metabolized to acetyl coa or ketone bodies, which may also
serve as a valuable energy source, explaining the increase in performance(Michalski et al. 2017).
The post increased post-exercise lactate concentrations indicate a higher lactate threshold in the
supplemented group. According to Coyle and Martin (1983) , lactate threshold is the best single
predictor of endurance performance. An increase in protein synthesis and testosterone in the
supplemented group would explain the increase in muscle mass, decrease in fat mass, and
increase in aerobic and anaerobic capacities. Although there is plenty of evidence supporting the
use of HMB as a muscle building and performance enhancing supplement, it seems it is based on
dose dependent manner of 3g per day. Based on the hormonal control of amino acid utilization,
when supplementing with HMB it may be beneficial to take with a high protein and carbohydrate
meal. This could potentially increase protein synthesis more than usual due to high insulin levels
also promoting protein synthesis and promotes the movement of amino acid transporters to the
cell membrane. Lastly, men experience significantly more protein synthesis and muscle growth due to
higher production of anabolic hormones, primarily the hormone testosterone. Due to this, women should
also supplement with HMB since they are already at a disadvantage when it comes to anabolic hormones
and muscle building potential.
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 References
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Durkalec-Michalski, K., Jeszka, J., & Podgrski, T. (2017). The Effect of a 12-Week Beta-
hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) Supplementation on Highly-Trained Combat Sports
Athletes: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study. Nutrients, 9(7),
753. doi:10.3390/nu9070753
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G. (n.d.). Research Articles. Retrieved November 09, 2017, from https://www.afpafitness.com/
research-articles/hmb-beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl-butyrate
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Rossi, A. P., DIntrono, A., Rubele, S., Caliari, C., Gattazzo, S., Zoico, E., . . . Zamboni, M.
(2017). The Potential of -Hydroxy--Methylbutyrate as a New Strategy for the Management of
Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity. Drugs & Aging. doi:10.1007/s40266-017-0496-0
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Talleyrand, et al., Uptake and output of the leucine metabolite -hydroxy--methyl butyrate
(HMB) across the leg of pigs. FASEB J. 7:A71, 1993.
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Wilson, G. J., Wilson, J. M., & Manninen, A. H. (2008). Effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-
methylbutyrate (HMB) on exercise performance and body composition across varying levels of
age, sex, and training experience: A review. Nutrition & Metabolism, 5(1), 1. doi:
10.1186/1743-7075-5-1
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