Discovered HMB about 10 days ago
This probably really belongs on the 65-85 thread, but that's turned into another Addiction thread, blather, no info, so I'm posting it here. I'm 76.
I've been really frustrated for the past year by my inability to maintain/get into decent riding shape. I think this is mostly due to slower recovery after workouts. My muscles hurt all the time, even after ordinary moderate rides on my rollers. I had to let 2-3 days go by between any moderately hard workouts. My resting HR was up several beats over what it was just a couple years ago. I also have another problem which seems to happen to older riders, namely saddle sores. My skin just can't take the pressure from a saddle anymore. It seemed to me that all these things might be connected. I messed with my diet, changed timing, carbs, and added protein. Adding more protein helped noticeably, but my recovery still wasn't good enough to build up to doing serious rides again. As is my practice, I hit the google, looking for wound healing (for the saddle sores), sarcopenia (muscle wasting in the elderly), and osteoporosis (I have that, too). I ran across a few studies and recommendations. One, for wound healing, involved adding 3 supplements, 2 of which I don't think do much, but one seemed worthy of more study: HMB, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-H...ylbutyric_acid I started taking 1g of HMB 3Xday only 10 days ago, and bingo. My metabolism is back on track, my resting HR is back down to where it should be, I'm recovering normally, and my wife and I got 7 Strava PRs on our tandem ride yesterday. The saddle sore is a little better, but a minor change compared to my restored ability to recover. I don't know how much it will help my osteoporosis, but I ran across a study where it prevented bone loss in pregnant mice :thumb:. Maybe so. The main effect of HMB is to reduce muscle damage from exercise, just what I need. So if your recovery ability has gone sharply downhill as you've hit one of those aging drop-offs, give it a try. A thorough look at HMB is here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2245953/ |
Studies confirm: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/arti...970-015-0092-9
No reported side effects. I read 6 studies to determine if and what to expect. Most said muscle mass does not increase but VO2 max increases while weight decreases. |
At 70 I have many of the same issues.
This is something I should investigate. Starting about 10 years ago. |
Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
(Post 22324664)
This probably really belongs on the 65-85 thread, but that's turned into another Addiction thread, blather, no info, so I'm posting it here. I'm 76.
I've been really frustrated for the past year by my inability to maintain/get into decent riding shape. I think this is mostly due to slower recovery after workouts. My muscles hurt all the time, even after ordinary moderate rides on my rollers. I had to let 2-3 days go by between any moderately hard workouts. My resting HR was up several beats over what it was just a couple years ago. I also have another problem which seems to happen to older riders, namely saddle sores. My skin just can't take the pressure from a saddle anymore. It seemed to me that all these things might be connected. I messed with my diet, changed timing, carbs, and added protein. Adding more protein helped noticeably, but my recovery still wasn't good enough to build up to doing serious rides again. As is my practice, I hit the google, looking for wound healing (for the saddle sores), sarcopenia (muscle wasting in the elderly), and osteoporosis (I have that, too). I ran across a few studies and recommendations. One, for wound healing, involved adding 3 supplements, 2 of which I don't think do much, but one seemed worthy of more study: HMB, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-H...ylbutyric_acid I started taking 1g of HMB 3Xday only 10 days ago, and bingo. My metabolism is back on track, my resting HR is back down to where it should be, I'm recovering normally, and my wife and I got 7 Strava PRs on our tandem ride yesterday. The saddle sore is a little better, but a minor change compared to my restored ability to recover. I don't know how much it will help my osteoporosis, but I ran across a study where it prevented bone loss in pregnant mice :thumb:. Maybe so. The main effect of HMB is to reduce muscle damage from exercise, just what I need. So if your recovery ability has gone sharply downhill as you've hit one of those aging drop-offs, give it a try. A thorough look at HMB is here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2245953/ Will report back in the New Year, if they benefited me or not. :winter: |
Is HMB over-the-counter, or prescription? If over-the-counter, where do you buy it?
These questions probably sound a bit silly, but I am currently living in Dubai. |
Originally Posted by Tony Marley
(Post 22325623)
Is HMB over-the-counter, or prescription? If over-the-counter, where do you buy it?
These questions probably sound a bit silly, but I am currently living in Dubai. |
Originally Posted by Wildwood
(Post 22325175)
At 70 I have many of the same issues.
This is something I should investigate. Starting about 10 years ago. |
Very interesting.
If the main effect is to restore recovery, is it best used on days of tough workouts, or is the effect optimized by daily intake, irrespective of exercise status? |
Originally Posted by MinnMan
(Post 22325713)
Very interesting.
If the main effect is to restore recovery, is it best used on days of tough workouts, or is the effect optimized by daily intake, irrespective of exercise status? |
I should mention that HMB tastes like something died in your water glass yesterday. However it's easy to mask. I don't really taste it in water with 30g chocolate whey protein. You could put it in a pre or post beverage, protein shake, anything like that.
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Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
(Post 22325783)
I should mention that HMB tastes like something died in your water glass yesterday. However it's easy to mask. I don't really taste it in water with 30g chocolate whey protein. You could put it in a pre or post beverage, protein shake, anything like that.
|
Folks might want to investigate the effectiveness of HMB. There are about as many "studies" that say it is effectivess as there are that say it is not.
|
Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
(Post 22325783)
I should mention that HMB tastes like something died in your water glass yesterday. ....................................
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Originally Posted by OldRailfan
(Post 22325928)
Certainly worth mentioning, but if this comes in capsules why would one taste it??
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Hold My Beer, and watch this!
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Originally Posted by Doug64
(Post 22325915)
Folks might want to investigate the effectiveness of HMB. There are about as many "studies" that say it is effectivess as there are that say it is not.
|
Originally Posted by Doug64
(Post 22325915)
Folks might want to investigate the effectiveness of HMB. There are about as many "studies" that say it is effectivess as there are that say it is not.
And as ColonelSanders intimated, one can do one's own study, which will have more valid results than anything one might read. That's what I always recommend. The only important criteria other than safety for any fitness routine or dietary thing is "Did it work for me?" And of course the things which might be even more important - whatever result it might have, is it worth the expense and bother to me? Twenty years ago, I don't think I would have bothered. I'm not a racer and was just about as strong as I needed to be to do what I wanted to do. I was a long way from wringing everything I could have out of my training. |
Can’t forget placebo effect. Many of the studies showed no net increase in muscle mass but if it works for you, it works for you.
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Originally Posted by rsbob
(Post 22328833)
Can’t forget placebo effect. Many of the studies showed no net increase in muscle mass but if it works for you, it works for you.
HMB seems to be about recovery, meaning repairing muscle damage or maybe preventing it to some extent. Thus one can work out harder on more days, and if one eats enough of the right nutrients, yes one will grow. Or if not, not. So far I'm not heavier, just a little faster and a little more endurance from being able to work out on consecutive days again. I got my happy back. There's an overview of sarcopenia here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066461/ It's an issue, starting in the 4th decade of life, as the study says. |
There are two newer meta-analyses that I don't see mentioned above, from 2021 and 2020.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33034021/ shows there is some gain in muscle mass in older people. See https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/v...n-older-adults for a non-technical summary of this paper. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32456217/ shows there is no strength gain in younger athletes and a small muscle mass gain. See https://www.mysportscience.com/post/does_hmb_work for a non-technical summary. |
Please everyone post your results
over on the 65+ thread, it needs more hard, non-subjective data, with less conjecture and blather. ;) |
I retired a year ago, and I've naturally increased my cycling mileage substatially since then. Now, at 70, I find that I have to be careful to take a couple of rest days per week and do one or two very easy days on the bike, too. Twenty-plus hours a week of hard riding felt great, but I wasn't recovering the way I used to. My conclusion is that adequate rest and recovery make a greater difference as I age.
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Originally Posted by Wildwood
(Post 22330002)
Please everyone post your results
over on the 65+ thread, it needs more hard, non-subjective data, with less conjecture and blather. ;) |
Originally Posted by Trakhak
(Post 22330047)
I retired a year ago, and I've naturally increased my cycling mileage substatially since then. Now, at 70, I find that I have to be careful to take a couple of rest days per week and do one or two very easy days on the bike, too. Twenty-plus hours a week of hard riding felt great, but I wasn't recovering the way I used to. My conclusion is that adequate rest and recovery make a greater difference as I age.
|
Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
(Post 22330550)
You ain't seen nuthin' yet. And the less you do, the less fitness you have and the weaker your legs get of course. My wife and I rode the one-day STP and RAMROD on our tandem when I was 69.
Now back to the subject at hand….. |
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