Recently, a friend’s mother ended up in the hospital after taking a fall on some ice.  Although she was banged up pretty badly, fortunately, it looks like she’ll be fine.  Though, to play it safe, she was put on a week or two of bed rest.  I recommended she take the supplement HMB for the next few weeks, which my friend had never heard of before.  I’m sharing more about it here, on the chance it’s new to you, too, and might similarly be helpful in the future for you or for someone you love.

In short, beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, or HMB, is a derivative of the essential amino acid Leucine.  It’s been widely studied, and it’s extremely safe.  You can find it cheaply at GNC or other supplement stores, as well as online.  Mostly, it’s been researched as a supplement for athletes, as it prevents protein breakdown, inhibiting something called the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.  The results there are pretty clear: if you’re just starting or re-starting an exercise program, taking 3g of HMB a day significantly increases initial strength and muscle gains, while also reducing soreness and muscle damage.  In that context, definitely worthwhile.

However, more recently, HMB has also been studied for its ability to prevent muscle loss during periods of inactivity.  Turns out, it’s extremely effective in a situation like my friend’s mom’s.  One study followed older adults during 10 days of complete bed rest.  Those given just a placebo lost 4.5 pounds of lean mass over those ten days.  Which is a lot; in most cases, it would take nearly a year of training to gain that muscle back.  Conversely, those given 3g a day of HMB only lost 0.37 pounds of lean mass over the ten days – barely any at all.

So, regardless of your age, if you end up unexpectedly incapacitated – or even if you just hit a crazy patch of life and realize you’re going to have to take a month or two off of your regular workout routine – consider taking HMB.  It’s safe, it’s cheap.  And, as research shows, it works.