REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1582135
This article is part of the Research TopicHarnessing the Potential of Functional Foods Containing Bioactive Compounds: Implications for Health and SustainabilityView all 6 articles
β-Hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate (HMB) Supplementation Elevates Testosterone Levels without Significant Changes to Cortisol, IGF-1, or Growth Hormone in Adults: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials
Provisionally accepted
Mohammad Vesal Bideshki1
Behrad Sadeghi1
Mehrdad Behzadi2
Hannane Jozi1
Hadi Eskandari Damane3
Ali Rashidinejad4*- 1Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- 2Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Piedmont, Italy
- 3Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Kerman, Iran
- 4Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Background and Aim: Increasing interest in improving physical performance and muscle mass in adults has highlighted the potential benefits of β-Hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate (HMB) supplementation. While numerous studies have been conducted in this area, the hormonal response to HMB remains unclear. We hypothesized that HMB supplementation would significantly increase anabolic hormone levels, particularly testosterone, while not impacting cortisol, IGF-1, or growth hormone levels in adults. Methods: A comprehensive search of databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, to identify relevant studies until January 2024. The protocol was registered with Prospero (CRD42024552074). The studies evaluated the impact of HMB supplementation on hormonal outcomes, including testosterone, cortisol, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone (GH). Utilizing a random-effects model, the standardized mean differences (SMD) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed, and the GRADE framework was applied. Results: A total of 15 controlled trials (CTs) comprising 712 participants were included. HMB supplementation significantly increased testosterone levels (SMD: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.35, 1.29, p=0.001). However, no significant changes were observed in cortisol (SMD: -0.39, 95% CI: -0.92, 0.14, p=0.14), IGF-1 (SMD: -0.18, 95% CI: -0.54, 0.18, p=0.33), and GH (SMD: 0.04, 95% CI: -0.73, 0.82, p=0.91) levels. The quality of evidence was rated as low to high according to the GRADE criteria. Conclusions: HMB supplementation significantly elevates testosterone levels in adults, without distinct impacts on other hormonal pathways. However, it does not appear to significantly influence cortisol, IGF-1, or GH levels.
Keywords: HMB supplementation, Hormonal response, Anabolic effects, Testosterone, metaanalysis
Received: 24 Feb 2025; Accepted: 12 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bideshki, Sadeghi, Behzadi, Jozi, Eskandari Damane and Rashidinejad. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ali Rashidinejad, Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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