HMB and Creatine
For any form of exercise you need to fuel your body with sufficient levels of energy. Whether it is high intensity or endurance training, energy and muscle stores deplete rapidly during exercise so it’s important to saturate levels pre-workout and replenish them post-workout. This is why some gym goers opt to take additional supplements in their regime to support their workout. Here, we take a closer look at creatine and HMB.
Creatine benefits
The compound creatine is naturally produced in the body, but only in small amounts. Your muscles require creatine stores to support physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. However, the little amount produced in the body is often depleted - leaving very little left to be stored. This is why you find additional creatine in your diet and additional supplements. Taking creatine supplements help to saturate creatine stores ahead of your workout. Here, we explore some of the main benefits associated with creatine:
- Some gym goers choose to start creatine supplementing with a loading phase so that stores saturate in the quickest way possible. Your muscle stores of creatine deplete rapidly during exercise, ensuring your stores are saturated pre-workout means your body has the opportunity to exercise for longer before premature exhaustion.
- Supplementing creatine is recommended to those who perform high intensity exercise, such as sprinting or powerlifting, as they are anaerobic exercises which requires an alternative energy source to oxygen – this is when ATP comes into play.
HMB benefits
Also referred to as beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, HMB is also naturally produced in the body, however, only when the branched-chain amino acid leucine is present. Leucine isn’t naturally produced in the body as it is an essential amino acid, meaning you need to source it externally from foods or supplements. With leucine not naturally present in the body, some people choose to use HMB supplements to ensure they have a sufficient level of HMB available to support their workout. Here, we look at how HMB can do this:
- Levels of HMB can become limited because of the bodies reliance on leucine for production. Taking HMB supplements helps maintain levels of HMB in the body without depending on the branched-chain amino acid.
- Leucine is a building block for protein. When leucine levels are high, the more HMB is produced
Can you take them both together?
The simple answer is yes. By stacking HMB, plus creatine together, in your regime you can combine the efforts of both supplements and you could increase the results of training.
