Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy

On these performance questions . . .my understanding is that HMB helps repair muscle breakdown, which is a normal and desired result of training. Thus it has no direct effect on performance - it's up the athlete to do the harder or more frequent training which HMB allows, and that will change performance measures. On the HR increase issue, HR is driven by the skeletal muscle cells. They tell the heart to get some more blood down here. So I think stronger, larger muscle cells very well might increase HR. Seems to me it might also allow better repair to heart muscle cells, which is a consideration for us older riders. But I can't say if that's true, nor do I think a cardiologist would know. We're the point of the spear.

Yes, taking supplements outside a controlled study will produce equivocal results. Maybe yes, maybe not. The tricky part is that if it works, you'll train a little harder and get just as tired as you did before you started using the substance, but you should see a result if you do train harder or more frequently. If you don't, no, no result. EPO gave Lance the ability to spend more time at very high aerobic levels, which resulted in better muscle conditioning. So when he went off it, he still got results. He still had to train like a maniac.