Getting Old? Try Some HMB Against Loss of Lean Body Mass
While the effectiveness of the leucine metabolite b-hydroxy-b-methylbutyrate (HMB) in athletes is debatable, its usefulness in geriatric scenarios becomes more and more obvious. On July, 2 2010, Kim et.al. (Kim. 2010) presented the results of a study investigating the effect of HMB (0.46 g/kg/d, similar to 6 g/d in humans) to old rats for 16 wks prior to being sacrificed. The beneficial effects on the retention of lean body mass speak for themselves:
The reason why I mention these results on a blog directed mainly to athletes and younger people is that I want to raise your awareness of the fact that most of the studies (often cited in advertisements, as well) that show beneficial effects of HMB (and there is quite a hand-full) were either done on old or sick animals. They are thus of little significance for a bodybuilder on a protein-supplemented high calorie diet. Until now evidence for beneficial effects of HMB-supplementation in this group of people is lacking. So save you money and buy some quality whey protein, BCAAs or even better EAAs instead."The LBM decline from 60 to 102 wks was only observed in the Non-HMB group (p<0.05). There was a main group x time effect (p<0.01) in the lean/total body mass (LBM/TBM) ratio, indicating an improved ratio only in the HMB group between 86 and 102 wks (+35%). A group x time effect in fat mass (FM, g) revealed a significant loss in FM (-55%) only in the HMB group between 86 and 102 wks (p<0.01)." (Kim. 2010)
