Tips for Maintaining Your Gains During At Home Workouts
By Chett Binning, Scientific Specialist, and Educator
If you’re someone who doesn’t have access to a fully functioning home gym right now, you’re probably left wondering what you can do to retain your muscle, strength, and performance.
Look no further than creatine and HMB (together).
Benefits of Creatine
You’re probably already well aware of the benefits of creatine.
Numerous studies have shown that creatine can increase muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth) AND prevent muscle protein breakdown (muscle loss), and can also increase strength.
Interestingly, it has even been shown to aid with retention of lean muscle mass and strength WITHOUT resistance training. A study published in the journal of strength and conditioning found that those supplementing with daily creatine were better able to maintain (arm) muscle mass and strength during a period of arm immobilization (due to it being in a cast).
Obviously we are not being immobile during this time, but it’s the mechanisms by which creatine can preserve muscle and strength that are of interest to us.
There are a number of potential mechanisms at play that are contributing to the prevention of muscle breakdown, promoting muscle synthesis, and increasing energy availability to muscle. These are the mechanisms that we can tap into to preserve our gains right now.
Creatine can be obtained from the diet but it’s difficult to achieve optimal amounts and is likely not possible if you’re restricting meat intake.
HMB (beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate) Also Prevents Muscle Loss
HMB is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine. You’re probably well aware of leucine as well, being as it is one of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). But HMB appears to have benefits that are unique from leucine.
HMB, like creatine, has numerous studies showing that it can increase muscle and strength during resistance training. Similarly, it also has the potential to preserve lean muscle during the most extreme scenarios of lack of activity.
In one study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, HMB was beneficial for retention of lean muscle during 10 days of bed rest among older adults.
Again, although we are not ‘bed resting’ right now, these mechanisms preserving muscle function could be incredibly valuable for retaining gains in the absence of heavy resistance training.
While creatine can hypothetically be obtained from the diet, and leucine can as well, research suggests we cannot obtain optimal amounts of HMB from the diet.
In fact, you’d have to consume upwards of 60g of leucine in a day just to get 3g of HMB. Consider that some of the highest sources of leucine, like beef or chicken, only contain about 2-3g of leucine per 100g serving.
The Synergistic Benefits of Creatine + HMB
Taking creatine and HMB together has its own unique benefits.
A recent double-blind placebo-controlled study published in the journal Nutrients, had elite rowers perform tests of aerobic power.
The athletes completed an initial baseline aerobic power test, and then supplemented either creatine, HMB, creatine plus HMB, or nothing at all, for 10 weeks. After the protocol, they repeated the aerobic power test to determine any changes in performance.
Interestingly, the group supplementing BOTH HMB and creatine outperformed all of the other groups is this test.
In a separate study using these same rowers, scientists looked at the response of certain anabolic hormones to this supplementation program.
The studies conclusion was as follows:
“The combination of creatine monohydrate plus HMB showed an increase in testosterone and T/C compared with the other groups after 10 weeks of supplementation. Moreover, this combination presented a synergistic effect on testosterone and T/C and an antagonistic effect on cortisol compared with the sum of individual or isolated supplementation.”
This synergistic effect on testosterone, the testosterone/cortisol ratio, and the inhibitory effect on cortisol, is favorable for strength and lean muscle gains, considering testosterone is anabolic while cortisol is catabolic.
It’s interesting to note that these benefits of creatine plus HMB were found in elite athletes; where the margin for improvement is extremely small (they’re so elite that it’s hard to get even better, so an improvement in this population is incredibly interesting!)
These, by the way, are NOT the first research to find additive effects of creatine and HMB. A 2001 paper published in Nutrition found that creatine and HMB were superior to each taken on their own for increasing lean muscle and strength.
ATP Lab’s Myoprime Formulation: Therapeutic Dosing of Creatine + HMB
Myoprime is formulated with optimal dosing and patented ingredients so that you can reap all these benefits of creatine and HMB.
We’ve added two different forms of creatine in order to optimize absorption rates. Including 3g of creatine monohydrate and 2g of patented MagnaPower creatine.
Research shows that this patented form of creatine has a higher rate of absorption and utilization than other forms of creatine. This is due in part to MagnaPower being bound to magnesium, which prevents premature breakdown, and promotes creatine retention where you want it most - inside the muscle cell.
We’ve also added patented myoeDge HMBca, a potent inhibitor of muscle breakdown. This patented form of calcium-HMB is combined with effective dosing of vitamin D.
Why Vitamin D?
Research shows that HMB is most effective when vitamin D levels are sufficient, likely because vitamin D supports the absorption of HMB. In fact, this is where many HMB products fall short. As some studies have shown that HMB only delivers gains to strength when vitamin D is adequate.
Support Muscular Strength and Power with PEAK ATP
Lastly, we’ve added patented PEAK ATP, to enhance energy availability for your working muscles.
Supplementing 400mg per day has been shown to reduce muscle fatigue, increase strength and power, and increase muscle while reducing muscle breakdown.
Informed-Sport Certified
Just like all ATP products, Myoprime is 100% naturally sweetened and free of artificial colors or flavors.
Every single bottle of Myoprime is third party tested four times over; including the raw materials, again upon mixing of these raw materials, and upon batching and labeling. Lastly, it is quarantined and tested by informed sport to ensure it is free of any banned substances and chemicals and meets their strict quality standards.
Thus, you can be certain you’re getting optimal dosing and ingredients as they are shown on the label.
Reaping the Muscle and Performance Benefits of Myoprime
In order to obtain the benefits explained, Myoprime can be used 30-60 minutes before workouts for greater strength, power, and recovery. It can also be used during fasting or other potentially catabolic conditions (e.g. lacking heavyweights) to prevent muscle breakdown.
For superior muscle growth, an additional serving can be used post-workout as well.
You do not have to deal with the loss of gains during these times of home workouts and social isolation. With proper adaptations to your training routine and use of Myoprime, you can turn those potential losses into gains.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19130643/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6696725/pdf/fnut-06-00124.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21118604
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23514626
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019716/pdf/nutrients-12-00193.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11448573
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21807930
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3483284/
- http://www.peakatp.com/media/cms/WilsonStudy_60A9467A7E908.pdf
- https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jappl.2001.91.3.1041?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dpubmed
