HMB has become the subject of an aggressively defended patent dispute in the United States. This serves to demonstrate how seriously the purveyors of this material view its worthiness. The subject of numerous medical trials, HMB has firmly establised itself in the athlete's arsenal for the assault on catabolism.
Oral HMB supplementation has been shown to partly prevent exercise - induced proteolysis and muscle damage from resistance training. Its use also resulted in increases in strength and lean muscle mass!
Although HMB (beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate) is a metabolite of the branched chain amino acid leucine and its analog alpha-ketoisocaproate (KIC), indications are that plasma HMB is derived solely from leucine. The obvious exception to this would be where HMB is consumed as the end product, i.e. where it occurs naturally. Catfish, alfalfa and grapefruit are three example of natural sources, although it is found in only small amounts in these. Leucine itself only converts to HMB at the rate of about 5%, demonstrating that leucine supplementation would also be an impractical approach to boosting HMB levels.
Not being subject to U.S. patent restrictions, Chemical Nutritional Products are now fortunately able to offer HMB to the serious athlete.
Research has indicated that 1.5 - 3 grams per day in divided dosages was effective enough to deliver the previously mentioned improvements. We feel that, for hard training athletes, 3 grams per day taken around your workout is best.
With all the relevant research supporting HMB use, can you really afford not to use it