SynthesisThe journal of nutrition, health & aging2019
The Effect of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on Sarcopenia and Functional Frailty in Older Persons: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
56 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 80 citations in OpenAlex.
- Combined resistance training and amino acid-based supplementation for sarcopenia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Ergogenic Benefits of β-Hydroxy-β-Methyl Butyrate (HMB) Supplementation on Body Composition and Muscle Strength: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of oral supplementation of β -hydroxy-β -methylbutyrate on muscle mass and strength in individuals over the age of 50: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- The impact of nutritional intervention and resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy older adults-a comparative analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of exercise with or withoutFrontiers in nutrition · 2024Pooled it
- An umbrella review of systematic reviews of β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate supplementation in ageing and clinical practice.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The efficacy of Sarcomeal® oral supplementation plus vitamin D3 on muscle parameters, metabolic factors, and quality of life in diabetic sarcopenia: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025Trial
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- Effects of β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyric Supplementation in Combination with Conservative Non-Invasive Treatments in Athletes with Patellar Tendinopathy: A Pilot Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
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- Peripheral Blood T Cell Gene Expression Responses to Exercise and HMB in Sarcopenia.Nutrients · 2021Trial
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- Sarcopenia: From Global Consensus to Korean Implementation - A Narrative Review and Standpoint.Annals of geriatric medicine and research · 2026Review
- Prospect of Muscle-Building Supplement HMB in Alzheimer's Disease.Journal of clinical & experimental immunology · 2026Article
- Frailty in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and axial spondyloarthritis: Current evidence and knowledge gaps.Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease · 2026Review
- Muscle matters: Transforming the care of intensive care unit acquired sarcopenia and myosteatosis.World journal of clinical cases · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBeta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) has been shown to be effective and superior to other types of protein supplements to attenuate loss of muscle mass, strength and function, however, its benefits in sarcopenic and frail older people remain unclear.
objectiveWe seek to determine the effect of HMB on muscle mass, strength and function in older people with sarcopenia or frailty by reviewing results from available randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
designThis review was registered at PROSPERO (University of York) with registration number CRD42018088462 and conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Using a pre-determined e-search strategy, we searched PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, LILACS, Web of Science, Cochrane and Scopus databases. Our inclusion criteria were RCTs that assessed the effect of HMB on muscle mass, strength and function in older people with sarcopenia and frailty aged ≥60 years. The main outcomes were lean body mass, handgrip, leg press strength, and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score.
resultsThree studies matched our eligibility criteria which enrolled 203 subjects through a variety of definitions of sarcopenia or frailty. Lean body mass increased and muscle strength and function were preserved following HMB supplementation.
conclusionHMB improves lean muscle mass and preserves muscle strength and function in older people with sarcopenia or frailty.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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 OpenQuestion graph.