HMB.. Will it be of use to me..

[J-Mak]

I have been weightlifting for about half a year now, I have been using both Creatine and Protein for the majority of my time.

I want to get much bigger much sooner.

With protein I am taking 55g.

Creatine I am taking 20g, 10g, 5g.
Depending on what stage I am in.

I want to buy something i have just heard about:
"HMB"

I am just wondering, would it be wise to buy the product if I am taking creatine and protein?

I work out every second day, because of the supplements quick repair time. I am getting bigger because of the supplements..

Is there anything HMB will do that I haven't already got covered?
Will HMB increase the features the other supplements give me?
I know it would be near impossible to get much quicker repair time, but would it help me get bigger/lose body fat?

[beergoggles]

http://www.mesomorphosis.com/supplement-profiles/hmb.htm

That's all I could find. I honestly have never heard of the supplement before.

I'm not going to plug in any generic answer about 1.5g of protein per lb, train hard, blah blah blah. Weightlifting takes patience. Looking for a magic supplement will only be a waste of money.

Edit: Think about it this way. If it really was a more effective supplement wouldn't everyone know about it? It's been around for almost 10 years from what I can gather.

[HLC]

I started looking up the references.
Often authors will only quote the ones that support their theory and/or sales of the supplement they're hawking.
But, it seems HMB has been shown to have merit in some studies I found.
here's two that support HMB, (you may have to copy and paste):

"In conclusion, two supplements, creatine and HMB, have data supporting their use to augment lean mass and strength gains with resistance training."

from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12433852?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8941534

In conclusion, supplementation with either 1.5 or 3 g HMB/day can partly prevent exercise-induced proteolysis and/or muscle damage and result in larger gains in muscle function associated with resistance training.


Both above came from the same researchers, which sometimes isn't a good thing, as they could be repeating their mistakes.

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However, this study from different researchers says they couldn't find benefit.

"The data indicate that 6 weeks of HMB supplementation in either standard encapsulation (SH) or HMB in time release capsule (TRH) does not influence changes in strength and body composition in response to resistance training in strength-trained athletes".

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11599506?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

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So, if you're really on a plateau and feel the need to spend some money to get over it, it might work, it might not.
.
.

[The English Gentleman]

Sounds bullshit...

[Carbonbased]

I HLC see if you can dig up any studies with this HMB and cancer and aids patients, I recall seeing a study where it did increase their ability to maintain weight considerably over control :/

[HLC]

I HLC see if you can dig up any studies with this HMB and cancer and aids patients, I recall seeing a study where it did increase their ability to maintain weight considerably over control :/

Here's the best one I found with a quick search, from Sloan-Kettering, a major cancer center out of New York.
2 out of 3 studies cited supported that it helped HIV and Cancer patients slow down the wasting away of muscle, even without exercise.

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69253.cfm

The third is from the same group of researchers that seems to be responsible for most of the favorable trials.
A lot of the trials, it seems, are funded by the company that sells the stuff.

Here's more, but again, always from the same group of men. They take turns being the lead investigators.

http://pen.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/28/2/65

http://pen.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/24/3/133?ijkey=cf06652dd1f3eddd897f3bb343d958e5429f4070&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102231128.html

++++++++++++

WebMD has a decent review from 2000, generally skeptical.

http://www.webmd.com/news/20001010/can-supplement-hmb-help-build-muscle

[HLC]

I have been weightlifting for about half a year now, I have been using both Creatine and Protein for the majority of my time....



From what I've been reading, the popular thinking is that HMB works well for beginning lifters, but doesn't have large effects on the already trained.
Some of the studies use subjects who have to sign a paper saying they haven't lifted in the past 6 months.
If they have lifted, they're not allowed into the program.
So, IMO, you have to ignore those studies as they don't pertain to your situation as someone who is 6 months into training.