Research

Acute and timing effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) on indirect markers of skeletal muscle damage

Jacob M Wilson¹ , Jeong-su Kim¹ , Sang-rok Lee¹ , John A Rathmacher² , Brett Dalmau¹ , J Derek Kingsley¹ , Heather Koch¹ , Anssi H Manninen³ , Raz Saadat¹ and Lynn B Panton¹

¹Department of Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

²Department of Animal Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

³Manninen Nutraceuticals Oy, Oulu, Finland

author email corresponding author email

Nutrition & Metabolism 2009, 6:6doi:10.1186/1743-7075-6-6

Published:	4 February 2009

Abstract

Background

While chronic β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation (≥ 2 wk) lowers exercise induced muscle damage, its acute or timing effects have not been examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute and timing effects of oral HMB supplementation on serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), muscle soreness, and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC).

Methods

Sixteen non-resistance trained men (22 ± 2 yrs) were assigned to HMB-Pre or HMB-Post groups. In a crossover design, all subjects performed 55 maximal eccentric knee extension/flexion contractions on 2 occasions on either the right or left leg. HMB-Pre (N = 8) randomly received 3 grams of either a placebo or HMB before and a placebo after exercise. HMB-Post (N = 8) received a placebo before and either 3 grams of HMB or a placebo after exercise. Muscle damage tests were recorded before, at 8, 24, 48, and 72 hrs post exercise.

Results

There was a reduction in MVC and an increase in soreness in the quadriceps and hamstrings following exercise (p < 0.001). Although HMB-Pre approached significance in attenuating soreness for the quadriceps (p = 0.07), there was no time × group effect. Serum indices of damage increased, peaking at 48 hrs for CK (773%) (p < 0.001) and 72 hrs for LDH (180%) (p < 0.001). While there were no time × group effects of HMB on CK and LDH, post hoc analysis revealed that only HMB-Pre showed no significant increase in LDH levels following exercise.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest no clear acute or timing effects of HMB supplementation. However, consuming HMB before exercise appeared to prevent increases in LDH.