HMB Free Acid

Synonyms: BetaTOR

What is HMB free Acid?

HMB free Acid is marketed under the brand name BetaTOR by Metabolic Technologies Inc. HMB or Beta-Hydroxy Beta-Methylbutyrate is a leucine metabolite that is available either as a calcium salt or in its free form known as HMB free Acid. Users report that HMB free Acid has superior effects compared to regular calcium HMB.

Where does HMB free Acid come from?

HMB free acid can be produced in the human body from leucine. However, this conversion process is very slow and inefficient, with a conversion rate of only 5% (Van Koevering & Nissen, 1992). By supplementing with synthetic sources of HMB free acid, higher levels in the body can be achieved.

Advantages of HMB free Acid

HMB free Acid has all the benefits of regular HMB. However, studies have shown that HMB free Acid in gel form is up to 97% better absorbed by the body and maximum blood levels are reached 30 minutes earlier. A good analogy is the comparison between the consumption of whey protein and whey protein hydrolyzate.

Benefits of HMB Free Acid Benefits for Bodybuilders

One of the most well-known benefits of HMB is that it has the ability to reduce muscle breakdown or catabolism. In addition to this, this compound appears to have many other benefits that, taken together, can help build more muscle and strength, as well as improve recovery.

Benefits of HMB free acid for muscle building

A study conducted with trained subjects showed that supplementation with 3 grams of HMB free acid over 12 weeks resulted in a 252% increase in lean muscle mass compared to a placebo (Wilson et al, 2014). Another study showed that the muscle thickness of trained men increased by 14.5% after supplementing with 3 grams of HMB free acid for 12 weeks, while the control group only saw an increase of 4.7% (Dunsmore et al, 2012).

Benefits of HMB free acid for strength

Even when it comes to increasing strength and performance, the results of studies conducted with HMB free acid are equally promising. Subjects who used this ingredient were able to increase their performance in bench presses, squats and deadlifts by 204% compared to members of the control group who only received a placebo. The increase in their performance in vertical jumps was 57% greater than in subjects who did not supplement with HMB free acid (Wilson et al, 2014). Another study showed that subjects who supplemented with HMB free acid were able to increase their strength by 18.3%, while the observed strength increases in subjects who did not supplement were only 6.6% (Dunsmore et al, 2012).

Benefits of HMB free acid for recovery

As you would expect, a compound that is promising in terms of preventing muscle breakdown should naturally also have benefits in terms of post-workout recovery. One study looking at this issue found that serum creatine kinase levels, a marker of muscle damage, were only half as high after exercise in a group supplementing with HMB free acid as in the control group. The subjects who supplemented with HMB free acid were also able to return to training significantly faster than the members of the control group (Sikorski et al, 2012). These results were observed after supplementation with 3 grams of HMB free acid per day before training and 30 minutes before training.

Supplementation with HMB free acid could help to shorten the necessary rest periods between training sessions so that you can train more frequently, which could result in faster gains in muscle mass and strength.

HMB free acid disadvantages and side effects

The safety and harmlessness of HMB has been extensively studied in the past. In general, HMB is a safe and harmless compound as it is a normal metabolic product of leucine and occurs naturally in the body. A study conducted with rats, which examined HMB free acid, did not observe any adverse side effects during supplementation with high doses of HMB free acid for 91 days. The equivalent human dose to the dosage used in this study would be 402 mg per kilogram of body weight (Fuller et al, 2014). For a man weighing 80 kilograms, this would correspond to a dose of 32 grams of HMB free acid, which is around ten times more than the effective dose. Perhaps the biggest drawbacks of HMB free acid are that, despite its potential benefits in the field of bodybuilding, this compound has not yet achieved the acceptance it deserves and that it is currently still difficult to find this substance on the market. Considering the fact that HMB has always been a relatively expensive ingredient, there is no doubt that HMB free acid will also be relatively expensive.

HMB free acid intake recommendation and timing of intake

Based on the available studies, 3 grams of HMB free acid appears to be the ideal dosage. This dose should be divided into three single doses of 1 gram each. On training days, one serving should be taken 30 minutes before training and the remainder of the daily intake should be taken with meals. On non-training days, the intake should be spread evenly throughout the day with meals.

HMB free acid supplements

HMB free Acid or BetaTOR is an ingredient patented by Metabolic Technologies Inc. This means that this company is currently the only manufacturer of HMB free acid. So far, only a few supplement manufacturers have included HMB free Acid as an ingredient in their supplements.

Combinations of HMB free Acid with other supplements

HMB free acid can be combined with a whole range of other bodybuilding supplements such as protein powder, creatine and pre-workout products. A combination of creatine with HMB free Acid could have additional positive effects and is strongly recommended. However, a good base supplementation including a high quality protein powder should be ensured before using HMB free acid.

References

1. Dunsmore et al (2012), Effects of 12 weeks of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate free acid gel supplementation on muscle mass, strength, and power in resistance trained individuals, J. Int. Soc. Sports Nutr. 9:Suppl. 1:P5
2. Fuller et al (2011), Free acid gel form of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) improves HMB clearance from plasma in human subjects compared with the calcium HMB salt. Br J Nutr 105(3):367-72. Fuller et al (2014), Rathmacher, 2014 Subchronic toxicity study of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyric free acid in Sprague-Dawley rats, Food Chem. Toxicol. 67:145-153
3. Sikorski et al (2012), The acute effects of a free acid beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate supplement on muscle damage following resistance training: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, J. Int. Soc. Sports Nutr. 9:Suppl. 1:P27
4. Van Koevering M, Nissen S (1992), Oxidation of leucine and alpha-ketoisocaproate to beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate in vivo. Am J Physiol. 262(1Pt1): E27-31
5. Wilson et al (2014), The effects of 12 weeks of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate free acid supplementation on muscle mass, strength, and power in resistance-trained individuals: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. European Journal of Applied Physiology Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. FV:1-11