Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39797501›Full record

SynthesisJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle2025

Ergogenic Benefits of β-Hydroxy-β-Methyl Butyrate (HMB) Supplementation on Body Composition and Muscle Strength: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.

Mohammad Vesal Bideshki, Mehrdad Behzadi, Mehrdad Jamali, Parsa Jamilian, Meysam Zarezadeh, Bahram Pourghassem Gargari

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  6. Frontiers in nutrition · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mohammad Vesal BideshkiStudent Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-5098-6547
Mehrdad BehzadiStudent Research Committee, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-2029-5008
Mehrdad JamaliStudent Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Parsa JamilianSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Stafforshire, UK.
Meysam ZarezadehStudent Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Bahram Pourghassem GargariNutrition Research Center, Department of Biochemistry and Diet Therapy, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.ORCID 0000-0001-7667-099X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundβ-Hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate (HMB) is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine, known for its ergogenic effects on body composition and strength. Despite these benefits, the magnitude of these effects remains unclear due to variability among studies. This umbrella review aims to synthesize meta-analyses investigating the effects of HMB on body composition and muscle strength in adults.

methodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science without date or language restrictions until August 2024. The study protocol was registered at Prospero (No. CRD42023402740). Included studies evaluated the effects of HMB supplementation on body mass, fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), muscle mass and performance outcomes. Effect sizes (ESs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and a random-effects model was used for meta-analysis. Standard methods assessed heterogeneity, sensitivity and publication bias. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the AMSTAR2 tool.

resultsEleven studies comprising 41 data sets were included, with participants aged 23-79 years. HMB supplementation significantly increased muscle mass (ES: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.06-0.35; p = 0.004), muscle strength index (ES: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.19-0.35; p < 0.001) and FFM (ES: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.11-0.34; p < 0.001). No significant changes were observed in FM (ES: 0.03; 95% CI: -0.04 to 0.35; p = 0.09) or body mass (ES: 0.09; 95% CI: -0.06 to 0.24; p = 0.22). The quality assessment revealed that five studies were of high quality, three were of low quality and three were of critically low quality.

conclusionsHMB supplementation may benefit individuals experiencing muscular atrophy due to physiological conditions, particularly enhancing muscle mass and strength without significant changes in fat mass or body weight.

Indexed as

Body CompositionDietary SupplementsMuscle StrengthValeratesAdultAgedHumansMiddle Agedbeta-hydroxyisovaleric acidValeratesbody compositionfat‐free massHMBmuscle massumbrella meta‐analysisβ‐hydroxy‐β‐methyl butyrate

Identifiers

PMID39797501
PMCPMC11724150

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.