The effect of HMB supplementation on body composition, fitness, hormonal and inflammatory mediators in elite adolescent volleyball players: a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Open accessAbstract
The use of ergogenic nutritional supplements is becoming inseparable from competitive sports. β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyric acid (HMB) has recently been suggested to promote fat-free mass (FFM) and strength gains during resistance training in adults. In this prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we studied the effect of HMB (3 g/day) supplementation on body composition, muscle strength, anaerobic and aerobic capacity, anabolic/catabolic hormones and inflammatory mediators in elite, national team level adolescent volleyball players (13.5-18 years, 14 males, 14 females, Tanner stage 4-5) during the first 7 weeks of the training season. HMB led to a significant greater increase in FFM by skinfold thickness (56.4 ± 10.2 to 56.3 ± 8.6 vs. 59.3 ± 11.3 to 61.6 ± 11.3 kg in the control and HMB group, respectively, p < 0.001). HMB led to a significant greater increase in both dominant and non-dominant knee flexion isokinetic force/FFM, measured at fast (180°/sec) and slow (60°/sec) angle speeds, but had no significant effect on knee extension and elbow flexion and extension. HMB led to a significant greater increase in peak and mean anaerobic power determined by the Wingate anaerobic test (peak power: 15.5 ± 1.6 to 16.2 ± 1.2 vs. 15.4 ± 1.6 to 17.2 ± 1.2 watts/FFM, mean power: 10.6 ± 0.9 to 10.8 ± 1.1 vs. 10.7 ± 0.8 to 11.8 ± 1.0 watts/FFM in control and HMB group, respectively, p < 0.01), with no effect on fatigue index. HMB had no significant effect on aerobic fitness or on anabolic (growth hormone, IGF-I, testosterone), catabolic (cortisol) and inflammatory mediators (IL-6 and IL-1 receptor antagonist). HMB supplementation was associated with greater increases in muscle mass, muscle strength and anaerobic properties with no effect on aerobic capacity suggesting some advantage for its use in elite adolescent volleyball players during the initial phases of the training season. These effects were not accompanied by hormonal and inflammatory mediator changes.
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Differing results are reported in studies on effects of resistance training associated with HMB supplementation on cytokines related to skeletal muscle hypertrophy and adipose tissue metabolic activity.
“Moreover, such differing results also are reported in studies on effects of RT associated with HMB supplementation on cytokines related to skeletal muscle hypertrophy [29] and adipose tissue metabolic activity [30–32], which warrants further investigations.”
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??-hydroxy-??-methylbutyrate ingestion, Part I: effects on strength and fat free mass
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- Authors
- Portal, S., Zadik, Z., Rabinowitz, J., Pilz-Burstein, R., Adler-Portal, D., Meckel, Y., Cooper, D. M., Eliakim, A., & Nemet, D.
- Affiliations
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
- Bar-Ilan University (IL)
- Wingate Institute (IL)
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Nemet, Dan
- Venue
- European Journal of Applied Physiology
- Published
- 2011-02-16
- Volume
- 111
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 2261-2269
- ISSN
- 0020-9376 (ISSN-L)
- 1439-6319
- 1439-6327
- OpenAlex
- W2049495815
- Cited by
- 90
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- escholarship.org
- Licence
- Locations
- European Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Keywords
- beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, dietary supplementation, youth athletes, volleyball players, body composition, fat-free mass, muscle strength, anaerobic power, cardiorespiratory fitness, anabolic hormones, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor I, testosterone, cortisol, inflammatory mediators, interleukin-6, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, resistance training, isokinetic strength
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Body Composition, Double-Blind Method, Exercise Test, Female, Hormones, Humans, Male, Physical Fitness, Placebos, Valerates, Inflammation Mediators, Dietary Supplements, Muscle Strength, Volleyball, Athletes
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