Increasing strength and power takes time and dedication, yet it's widely seen as the difference between a good athlete and an excellent one.
Luckily there are a few sports supplements that have been shown in well-controlled research settings to improve both of these attributes.
One of these supplements is HMB, an incredibly well-researched ingredient shown to increase strength and power in a number of athletic disciplines.
What is HMB?
HMB (β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate) is made naturally in the body by breaking down the amino acid Leucine.
It’s stored in the muscles and used to build, maintain, protect, and repair muscle cells.
Your body produces about 1g/day which is topped up by HMB containing foods like fish, grapefruit and alfalfa.
Research shows that an additional ~3g/d HMB in the diet can impact strength and power, endurance performance, and even help us maintain muscle as we age without exercising.
What does HMB do for muscles?
HMB works by slowing muscle protein breakdown and speeding up protein synthesis in repair. It’s also a vital structural component used to maintain the integrity of muscle cell membranes, preventing them from damage. The main theory behind HMB is that it reduces the muscle damage you experience when you push your body in training. This means you need less recovery time and can train more frequently at a higher intensity.
How does HMB help you build strength and power?
Training for strength and power can put a lot of stress on muscle cells, causing damage and soreness that you need to recover from before continuing your training effectively.
In protecting against this damage and soreness, HMB allows you to push your body harder and you’ll be back the next day with less soreness, ready to train again. Over time this will result in you adapting faster to the training you’re doing.
More time training = more strength and power gained
Not just for power athletes
HMB isn’t just beneficial for strength and power-biased athletes. Endurance athletes or anyone not looking to gain overall mass can supplement HMB on its own with products like Blonyx HMB Sport.
Combining HMB and Creatine for further strength and power
HMB isn't the only strength and power-focused supplement on the market. There are now a number of studies showing that if you combine creatine with HMB, they'll work additively - further speeding your power increase. At the time of writing however, there are only a few products that combine HMB and creatine at correct doses (~3g/d HMB, ~5g/d creatine), like Blonyx HMB+ Creatine.
Creatine acts as a very rapid, but limited source of energy for very high-intensity muscle contractions and is one of the most trusted and proven strength-building supplements on the market today. This will help you perform those high-intensity movements which are key for building strength and power.
The only downside to using creatine is that it can increase muscle water weight, which isn’t desirable for athletes that need to maintain body weight.
Not all HMB supplements are created equally. Take a look at the difference choosing a research-based company makes and why you should choose Blonyx HMB+ Creatine.