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Hmb

Supplement amino acid metabolite fitness
Aka: beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, HMB-FA
Brands seen in Singapore: Nutricost, MuscleTech, NOW Foods, ALLMAX, Primaforce
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Recovery from training hard enough to damage muscle
When to take
Close to a workout
Take with
Either form · hmb-ca adds about 400 mg calcium a day
Studied for
About 2 weeks of use before it shows
Pros & cons
Pros
  • 3 g a day is the most commonly studied dose
  • ISSN: attenuates exercise-induced muscle damage
  • Well tolerated at 3 g a day for 3–8 weeks
Cons
  • No expert consensus on value beyond a few months
  • Australian institute of sport does not recommend it
  • Doses and study lengths vary — benefit hard to predict
Sources
  1. NIH ODS — Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance (Health Professional), HMB efficacy · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “There is general agreement that HMB helps speed up recovery from exercise of sufficient amount and intensity to induce skeletal muscle damage … trained athletes must exert themselves more than untrained individuals to potentially benefit”
  2. NIH ODS — Exercise and Athletic Performance, HMB doses studied · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “daily doses (1.5 to 6 g; most commonly 3 g based on evidence that this dose provides equivalent results to 6 g and better results than 1.5 g)”
  3. NIH ODS — Exercise and Athletic Performance, variability across HMB studies · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “they have used substantially different periods of supplementation (1 day to 6 weeks) … It is therefore difficult to predict what, if any, benefits an exercising individual might experience from consuming HMB”
  4. NIH ODS — Exercise and Athletic Performance, HMB safety · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “users tolerate HMB well, and it is safe at daily intakes of 3 g for 3 to 8 weeks … its safety profile (and efficacy) has not been studied in adolescents”
  5. NIH ODS — Exercise and Athletic Performance, HMB implications for use · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “There is no expert consensus on the value of taking HMB for several months or longer or its safety … The Australian Institute of Sport does not recommend HMB supplementation by athletes”
  6. NIH ODS — Exercise and Athletic Performance, HMB-Ca vs HMB-FA · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HMB-Ca is approximately 13% calcium by weight, and a daily dose of 3 g/day adds about 400 mg calcium to the diet … Those who wish to limit their calcium intake can use HMB-FA”
  7. NIH ODS — Exercise and Athletic Performance, ISSN dosing described · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “It also suggests that supplement users ideally consume 3 g/day HMB (in three equal servings of 1 g) for at least 2 weeks before high-intensity exercise to optimize HMB's protective effects on muscle”
  8. ISSN position stand: beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) (Wilson et al., JISSN 2013) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HMB can be used to enhance recovery by attenuating exercise induced skeletal muscle damage in trained and untrained populations … Thirty-eight mg·kg·BM -1 daily of HMB has been demonstrated to enhance skeletal muscle hypertrophy, strength, and power”
  9. ISSN position stand on HMB (Wilson et al., JISSN 2013), timing statements 2–3 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “If consuming HMB, an athlete will benefit from consuming the supplement in close proximity to their workout … HMB appears to be most effective when consumed for 2 weeks prior to an exercise bout”
  10. HSA Health Supplements Guidelines (GL-CHPB-3-001 Rev. 020, January 2026), Tables 4–5 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HS for use by the general adult population should not contain vitamins and minerals exceeding the stipulated limits stated in Tables 4 and 5”
  11. HSA Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines (Oct 2025), Annexes A/B · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list”
  12. iHerb Singapore — HMB category page, heading 'Muscle Recovery Supplements' (default sort, 41 products) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Muscle Recovery Supplements … Nutricost, HMB, 240 Capsules (500 mg per Capsule) … MuscleTech, Clear Muscle®, Liquid HMB … NOW Foods, Sports, HMB With Vitamin D-3”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.