Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jan;24(1):48-52.
doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000000713.

β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate supplementation in older persons - an update

Danielle E Bear  1   2 , Alfonso J Cruz-Jentoft  3 , Jeffrey R Stout  4
Affiliations
Review

β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate supplementation in older persons - an update

Danielle E Bear et al. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Purpose of review: The interest in the use of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) as an intervention to prevent and treat sarcopenia has increased over recent years. The purpose of this review is to explore recent evidence pertaining to the mechanism of action of HMB and how this may influence changes in lean mass and strength in older persons who are both hospitalized and living in the community.

Recent findings: No new studies have been published over the last 2 years investigating the effect of HMB in older persons who are hospitalized, aside from one posthoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial exploring the effect of a high protein oral nutrition supplement containing HMB on handgrip strength and nutritional status. Three studies recruiting community-dwelling older adults have been published, but results are influenced by suboptimal methodological quality.

Summary: Recent data suggest the need for high-quality studies investigating the effectiveness of HMB to improve outcomes related to sarcopenia in both hospitalized and community-dwelling older persons.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Bahat G, Bauer J, et al. Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age Ageing 2019; 48:16–31.
    1. Beaudart C, Zaaria M, Pasleau F, et al. Health outcomes of sarcopenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169548.
    1. Wilkinson DJ, Hossain T, Limb MC, et al. Impact of the calcium form of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate upon human skeletal muscle protein metabolism. Clin Nutr 2018; 37:2068–2075.
    1. Wu H, Xia Y, Jiang J, et al. Effect of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate supplementation on muscle loss in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2015; 61:168–175.
    1. Ligthart-Melis GC, Luiking YC, Kakourou A, et al. Frailty, sarcopenia and malnutrition frequently (co-)occur in hospitalized older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020; 21:1216–1228.

LinkOut - more resources