HMB, short for beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, is a compound your body makes from the amino acid leucine. It is sold as a supplement to limit muscle breakdown. It has an unusual history: the researchers who first tested it in the 1990s patented it, and their company, Metabolic Technologies, still licenses it, so much of the positive research was run or funded by the patent holder. Independent analyses have been far less impressed, especially in people who already lift.
So this ranking rewards what you can check: whether the label reaches the 3 g a day used in trials, the cost of 3 g, whether an independent program verified the contents, how many pills it takes, and how far the claims outrun the research. We read the Supplement Facts panel on every product's current Amazon listing and scored all ten on the same five criteria. For the full research story, see our HMB evidence review.
The short version
- Best overall: Nutricost HMB Powder, plain calcium HMB at about $0.24 per 3 g, with no benefit claims.
- Best certified: VINATURA HMB + D3, the only stand-alone HMB product we found both on NSF Certified for Sport and on Amazon, at about $0.97 a day.
- Lowest cost: BulkSupplements HMB Powder, about $0.20 per 3 g.
- Little benefit for lifters. Independent meta-analyses found trivial or no effects on strength and muscle in people who already train.
- The famous result is disputed. The trial behind "16.3 lbs of muscle in 12 weeks" was partly funded by the HMB patent holder, three authors worked there, and other researchers have questioned its data.
- Older adults: mixed. Lean-mass gains appear mainly without exercise and largely disappear when people also lift weights.
- Read the units. Labels usually list calcium HMB, which is about 81 percent HMB.
How we ranked them
HMB products differ mainly in dose, form, price and claims, so we scored those:
- Label daily dose (20%). Most trials used 3 g a day of calcium HMB. Labels that reach 3 g at their maximum directions score highest, then 1.5 to 2.9 g, then 1 g.
- Cost per 3 g (25%), from Amazon prices on October 23, 2026, converted to calcium HMB where a label lists HMB itself; the free-acid product is priced per 3 g of free acid.
- Verification (20%). Highest for NSF Certified for Sport, which checks label amounts and screens for banned substances, confirmed on NSF's listing. Then an Informed Sport logo we could not confirm, then an unnamed testing claim, then nothing.
- Form (15%). Plain powder scores highest, then 3 to 4 pills for 3 g, then 6 pills or an added active such as vitamin D3, then a free-acid softgel with added betaine.
- Marketing restraint (20%). Products start at 4 of 5, and half a point comes off for each category present: unverifiable superiority claims; benefits beyond the evidence, such as muscle growth, strength gains or strength support, fat loss or cognition; and misused research or absorption claims. "Preserves muscle" and "supports recovery" wording is not deducted.
Products are ordered by their unrounded scores, shown rounded to one decimal; exact ties are broken by verification, then marketing. We also looked at Nutricost's myHMB capsules, other HMB powders, XYMOGEN HMB PRO (NSF Certified for Sport but not on Amazon), creatine and HMB blends and HMB gummies. No brand paid to be included, and none sent product.
What HMB research actually shows
Who funded the research. HMB was developed and patented by Iowa State researcher Steven Nissen, who co-founded Metabolic Technologies in 1990, which licenses the patents and requires retailers to obtain a license; TSI Group bought the company in 2019. The brands myHMB (calcium HMB) and BetaTOR (free acid) come from that licensing. The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stands are not independent: one 2013 panel member conducted research for Metabolic Technologies, and the 2025 stand was led by an MTI Biotech employee, with several HMB patent inventors among its authors.
People who already lift. An independent 2009 meta-analysis of 9 studies and 394 people found trivial effects on strength in trained lifters and small strength gains only in untrained men, with no meaningful change in body composition. A 2018 meta-analysis of 6 trials in athletes found no effect on strength or body composition, and a 2020 analysis in young adults found no significant difference in fat-free mass, fat mass or strength. Two 2019 trials of off-the-shelf calcium HMB and free acid found no benefit. Endurance is the exception: a 2024 meta-analysis of 11 small studies and 279 people found improved endurance performance and VO2max with HMB.
The disputed trial. In 2014, a 12-week trial of HMB free acid in trained men reported 7.4 kg of lean mass gained versus 2.1 kg on placebo, the source of MuscleTech's "16.3 lbs". It was partly funded by Metabolic Technologies, and three of its eleven authors were employees. It was one study split into three papers that shared a placebo group, and other researchers documented protocol differences and unusually uniform participants across the papers; the lead author replied that there were no discrepancies. A letter from 18 exercise scientists about the companion paper noted gains better than those reported by steroid users, as reproduced on co-signer Layne Norton's site. We found no correction or retraction of the paper.
Older adults. Pooled trials in older adults found a small gain in muscle mass, mainly in people taking HMB without exercise; when HMB was added to resistance training, the extra benefit was not significant, and a 2026 analysis of 13 trials concluded it cannot be recommended as a routine add-on to training. In a small bed rest study of 19 older adults, the 11 taking HMB kept their lean mass while the control group lost about 2 kg, though physical function did not differ. A 156-woman trial of HMB alone in older women with low muscle mass found a negligible benefit for walking speed. More in our sarcopenia guide.
Calcium versus free acid. In small company-run studies, free acid reached the blood faster and at higher levels. We found no trial showing free acid builds more muscle or strength than calcium HMB, and one independent trial found neither form worked.
Clinical research. Hospital and cancer trials mostly tested combination products. In a trial of a nutrition drink containing HMB in malnourished hospitalized older adults, with four Abbott researchers among its authors, the main outcome, death or readmission, showed no significant difference; fewer deaths was a secondary finding. A 472-patient cancer trial found no significant difference in lean body mass. These are medical uses, not reasons to buy a supplement.
The 10 best HMB supplements
Tap any product to jump straight to its full review.
Nutricost HMB Powder (250 g)
Best for: Plain calcium HMB at a low price
The top pick because it does the basics best: calcium HMB with nothing added, a listing with no benefit claims, and about $0.24 for the 3 g used in trials. The 1 g scoop means three scoops, its testing claim names no lab, and HMB powder tastes bitter to many people.
- Calcium HMB and nothing else
- About $0.24 for the 3 g used in most trials
- A listing with no benefit claims
- More than 2,900 Amazon ratings averaging 4.5 stars
- The label serving is one 1 g scoop; 3 g means three scoops
- "Third party tested" names no lab, and its NSF mention refers to the factory
- HMB powder tastes bitter to many people
VINATURA HMB 3000 mg + Vitamin D3
Best for: Tested athletes who want NSF Certified for Sport
The best-verified option: NSF Certified for Sport, which we confirmed on NSF's listing, with 3 g of myHMB calcium HMB in 4 capsules. It costs about $0.97 a day, adds 1,600 IU of vitamin D3, and its listing claims muscle growth and calls its myHMB "the Gold Standard of HMB."
- NSF Certified for Sport, which checks label amounts and screens for banned substances; we confirmed it on NSF's listing
- 3 g of calcium HMB (myHMB) per 4-capsule serving, the trial dose
- Plain vegetarian capsules with 3 simple excipients
- About $0.97 a day, four times the powders
- Adds 1,600 IU of vitamin D3, which you may not need if you already take D
- Claims muscle growth and calls its myHMB "the Gold Standard of HMB"
BulkSupplements HMB Powder (500 g)
Best for: The lowest cost per gram
The cheapest here, about $0.20 per 3 g, and one of the few labels that states the actual HMB (825 mg per serving). It edges out NOW on price despite a weaker testing claim, and loses points for claims about training harder and longer and cognitive health.
- About $0.20 per 3 g, the lowest cost here
- The label states both the calcium and the actual HMB (825 mg per serving)
- Nothing added
- The label serving is 1/2 teaspoon, about 1 g; 3 g is about 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Claims it helps you train harder and longer and may help cognitive health, which trials have not shown
- Its "third party tested" badge names no lab
NOW Sports HMB 1,000 mg (90 tablets)
Best for: A tablet that labels the actual HMB
The best tablet: NOW labels the actual HMB, 1 g per tablet, and three tablets reach the trial dose, with an Informed Sport logo we could not confirm on the certifier's site. About $0.74 per 3 g of calcium HMB equivalent, with 500 IU of vitamin D3 added.
- Labels the actual HMB content, 1 g per tablet, about 1.24 g as calcium HMB
- Three tablets reach the trial dose
- Carries the Informed Sport logo for banned-substance screening
- Benefit claims stick to muscle maintenance and recovery
- We could not open Informed Sport's listing to confirm the current batch, yet the listing calls its testing the "highest level of assurance for athletes"
- Adds 500 IU of vitamin D3
- About $0.74 per 3 g of calcium HMB equivalent; a bottle lasts a month
Deal Supplement HMB 3,000 mg (240 capsules)
Best for: A cheap 3 g capsule serving
The cheapest 3 g capsule serving, 4 capsules for about $0.42. Its testing claim names no lab, and the listing claims muscle growth and a "High Bioavailable Formula," neither supported by trials in people who train.
- 3 g of calcium HMB in 4 capsules, the trial dose, at about $0.42
- A 240-capsule bottle lasts two months
- "3rd party lab tested" names no lab
- Claims muscle growth and a "High Bioavailable Formula", neither supported by trials in people who train
- Gelatin capsules, so not for vegetarians
Bucked Up Essentials HMB (180 capsules)
Best for: The lowest bottle price
The lowest bottle price here, $14.95, at the same $0.50 per 3 g as Nutricost's capsules, but 6 capsules for 3 g and a testing claim that names no lab.
- The lowest bottle price here, $14.95
- 1.5 g of calcium HMB per 3-capsule serving
- 3 g takes 6 capsules, double the label serving
- Says it is "sourced from the best" without naming a supplier
- "Third party tested" names no lab
Nutricost HMB 1,000 mg (240 capsules)
Best for: A capsule with a plain listing
A plain-label capsule at about $0.50 per 3 g, but 500 mg capsules mean 6 a day for the trial dose, three times the label serving. Gelatin capsules and an unnamed testing claim.
- A listing with no benefit claims
- About $0.50 per 3 g
- Nearly 9,000 Amazon ratings averaging 4.5 stars
- 500 mg capsules, so 3 g takes 6 a day; the label directs 2
- Gelatin capsules
- "Third party tested" names no lab
Legion HMB 3,000 mg (myHMB)
Best for: 3 g in vegetarian capsules, with no added vitamin D
3 g of myHMB in 4 vegetarian capsules with an ISO-lab testing claim, at about $1.00 a day. The lab is not named, and the listing leans hard on its research, claiming it "shows our HMB works the way we say it does" and promising fat-loss support.
- 3 g of myHMB calcium HMB in 4 vegetarian capsules
- Says it is tested for purity, potency and banned substances in an ISO 17025 accredited lab
- About $1.00 per 3 g
- The testing lab is not named, and the certificate shown is unreadable
- Says its research "shows our HMB works the way we say it does" and claims fat-loss support, which meta-analyses have not found
- Only 42 Amazon ratings
Optimum Nutrition HMB (90 capsules)
Best for: Fewest capsules for 3 g
3 g of calcium HMB in only 3 capsules from a familiar brand, but at about $1.33 per 3 g with no testing claim on the listing, and a strength claim that trials in trained people do not support.
- 3 g of calcium HMB in just 3 capsules
- More than 2,100 Amazon ratings averaging 4.5 stars
- About $1.33 per 3 g, among the most expensive
- No testing claim on the listing
- Says it supports muscle strength; trials in people who already train found trivial effects
MuscleTech Clear Muscle Liquid HMB (free acid)
Best for: People set on trying free acid
The only free-acid HMB here, at about $2.79 per 3 g. Its marketing rests on the disputed 2014 trial's "16.3 lbs" and on a "97%" absorption chart that names no source, and we found no trial showing free acid builds more muscle than calcium HMB.
- The only HMB free acid product here, the form used in the disputed 2014 trial
- Free acid reached the blood faster than calcium HMB in small company-run studies
- About $2.79 per 3 g daily dose, more than ten times the powders' daily cost, and the bottle lasts two weeks
- Advertises "16.3 lbs of muscle in 12 weeks" from a 2014 trial partly funded by the HMB patent holder, whose results other researchers have disputed
- Claims "97% better absorption" and "anabolic power" equal to 200 g of whey; we found no trial showing free acid builds more muscle than calcium HMB
- Adds 250 mg of betaine per softgel (750 mg at 3 a day), and the panel lists 84 servings for a 42-softgel bottle
The full lineup, side by side
Amounts come from each product's Supplement Facts panel on its Amazon listing. Most labels state grams of calcium HMB, the salt used in most trials; it is about 81 percent HMB, so we convert NOW's "1 g of HMB" to about 1.24 g of calcium HMB to compare fairly.
| Product | Form | HMB per day (label max) | Other actives | Testing claim or certification | Cost per 3 g | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Nutricost Powder | Powder | 1 g calcium HMB | None | Unnamed third party | $0.24 | 3.9 |
| #2 VINATURA | Capsules | 3 g calcium HMB (4 caps) | Vitamin D3 1,600 IU | NSF Certified for Sport | $0.97 | 3.9 |
| #3 BulkSupplements | Powder | About 1 g calcium HMB (825 mg HMB) | None | Unnamed third party | $0.20 | 3.8 |
| #4 NOW Sports | Tablets | 2 to 3 g HMB (about 2.5 to 3.7 g as calcium HMB) | Vitamin D3 500 IU | Informed Sport logo (not confirmed) | $0.74 | 3.7 |
| #5 Deal Supplement | Capsules (gelatin) | 3 g calcium HMB (4 caps) | None | Unnamed third party | $0.42 | 3.6 |
| #6 Bucked Up | Capsules (gelatin) | 1.5 g calcium HMB (3 caps) | None | Unnamed third party | $0.50 | 3.5 |
| #7 Nutricost Capsules | Capsules (gelatin) | 1 g calcium HMB (2 caps) | None | Unnamed third party | $0.50 | 3.4 |
| #8 Legion | Capsules | 3 g calcium HMB (4 caps) | None | ISO lab, not named | $1.00 | 3.4 |
| #9 Optimum Nutrition | Capsules (gelatin) | 3 g calcium HMB (3 caps) | None | None shown | $1.33 | 3.3 |
| #10 MuscleTech | Softgels (free acid) | 3 g HMB free acid (3 softgels) | Betaine 750 mg (3 softgels) | None shown | $2.79 | 2.9 |
Prices are Amazon prices on October 23, 2026 and change often. Cost per 3 g is the bottle price divided by the grams of calcium HMB it holds (or the equivalent), times 3; MuscleTech's is per 3 g of free acid. NSF Certified for Sport was confirmed on NSF's listing; NSF's dietary supplement listing could not be reached. Calcium HMB also supplies about 410 mg of calcium per 3 g.
How to choose, and what to check first
Ask whether you need it. If you already lift and eat enough protein, independent trials found little or nothing. HMB has more support in untrained people and in older adults who cannot exercise, and even there the effects are small. For most lifters, creatine has far stronger evidence; see our creatine ranking.
Get 3 g of calcium HMB. That is the trial dose. Check whether the label lists calcium HMB or HMB itself: 3 g of calcium HMB supplies about 2.4 g of HMB. Powder is cheapest; capsules range from 3 to 6 a day.
Ignore free-acid and absorption hype. Free acid reaches the blood faster in small company-run studies, but we found no trial showing it builds more muscle, and it costs many times more.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. We found no human data; avoid it unless your clinician directs it.
- Kidney disease and calcium limits. We found no trials in kidney disease, and 3 g of calcium HMB adds about 410 mg of calcium.
- Safety data. Trials up to 12 months found no clear problems, but most safety data come from the researchers who developed HMB.
- Medicines. We found no established drug interactions in humans; ask a pharmacist if you take prescription drugs.
- Expectations. In people who train, expect little; HMB is not a substitute for protein, training or creatine.
Frequently asked questions
Does HMB build muscle?
Not much in people who already train. Independent meta-analyses found trivial or no effects on strength and muscle in trained lifters, with small strength gains in untrained men. In older adults it may help preserve muscle when they cannot exercise, but adding it to resistance training showed no significant extra benefit.
How much HMB should you take?
Most trials used 3 g a day of calcium HMB, often split into doses. Calcium HMB is about 81 percent HMB, so a label listing 1 g of HMB equals about 1.24 g of calcium HMB.
Is HMB free acid better than calcium HMB?
It reached the blood faster in small studies run by the company that holds the HMB patents, but we found no trial showing it builds more muscle or strength, and it costs far more.
Is the 16.3 lbs of muscle claim real?
It comes from a 2014 trial of HMB free acid partly funded by the HMB patent holder, with three employee authors. Other researchers have questioned its data, and independent trials have not found anything close. We found no correction or retraction.
Is HMB safe?
In trials of up to 12 months, no clear safety problems appeared, though most safety data come from HMB's developers. We found no human data in pregnancy and no trials in kidney disease.
HMB or creatine?
Creatine. It has far stronger and more independent evidence for strength and muscle in people who train.
What is myHMB?
A brand of calcium HMB licensed by Metabolic Technologies, the company that holds the HMB patents. It is the same compound as other calcium HMB.
The bottom line
The best HMB supplement is plain calcium HMB at the 3 g trial dose for a price you will not notice. Nutricost's powder does that best, BulkSupplements is cheapest, and VINATURA is the pick if you need NSF Certified for Sport. Keep expectations low: independent trials found little benefit in people who already train, the most famous result is disputed, and creatine remains the better-supported choice for most lifters.