International society of sports nutrition position stand: β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB).
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Expert society consensus position stand and narrative literature review
PubMed 39699070 · doi:10.1080/15502783.2024.2434734
What was done
The Research Committee of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) analyzed the literature to develop an official 12-point position stand on the mechanisms, safety, and efficacy of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB, including HMB-Ca and HMB-FA forms) supplementation across athletic, sedentary, and clinical populations.
What was found
The abstract provides consensus conclusions across 12 areas without reporting specific numerical data or effect sizes: oral HMB is safe for at least one year; daily supplementation (38 mg/kg body weight) with exercise training may increase lean mass and decrease fat mass; strength and power benefits are observed in untrained individuals but are mixed in trained athletes (increasing with durations >6 weeks); HMB reduces muscle damage and soreness, may enhance aerobic performance, and may mitigate disuse muscle atrophy and age-related sarcopenia under select conditions.
Why it matters
This position stand provides practical consensus guidance on HMB dosing, safety, and potential applications for muscle preservation, recovery, and body composition.
Limits
As an expert society position stand rather than a systematic review, no quantitative meta-analytic data or study counts are provided in the abstract. Benefits in trained athletes remain mixed, and mechanisms underlying certain effects (such as aerobic capacity) remain undefined.
Cited by
- supports Calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation supports muscle recovery and attenuates muscle protein breakdown.