Taking a specific supplement called HMB-FA before a tough workout doesn’t make you lift more weight or change your starting strength — so if you feel better or recover faster, it’s probably because of the supplement itself, not because you worked out harder.

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Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

54

Community contributions welcome

54

β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate free acid reduces markers of exercise-induced muscle damage and improves recovery in resistance-trained men

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2013 Aug 28

The study gave trained men a specific supplement before a tough workout and found it didn’t change how hard they worked out or their strength — so any benefits they saw weren’t because they lifted more, but because the supplement helped their muscles recover.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate free acid reduces markers of exercise-induced muscle damage and improves recovery in resistance-trained men

Score: 54

DOI: 10.1017/S0007114512005387

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