Kim & Kim 2022, HMB and recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage

A narrative mini-review in Physical Activity and Nutrition of HMB’s effect on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. It concludes HMB can be an effective strategy to limit such damage, based on consistent reductions in creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase, the blood markers of muscle-membrane damage, alongside less delayed-onset soreness and smaller post-exercise losses of range of motion and strength.

Two findings are directly relevant to running: supplemented athletes showed significantly smaller rises in creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase after a 20 km run, and HMB hastened recovery of isometric and isokinetic muscle function after downhill running. The review is candid about limits: some trials found no effect, attributed to differences in subjects, exercise and duration; the inflammatory and oxidative-stress mechanisms are incompletely understood; and co-administration with creatine gave no additive benefit. Safety was confirmed at 3 g per day. Limited evidence (narrative review).