The power of HMB in preventing muscle loss of the elderly

Two glasses of Ensure Gold can provide enough HMB to protect your muscle daily

Muscles play a role in your body’s movement, balance, and posture, as well as your metabolism and even facial structure. Your muscles are a critical source of strength and energy as you recover.

When you’re sick or hospitalised, your body doesn’t get enough of the nutrients it needs to recover, which causes it to break down muscle tissue.

This kind of muscle loss is associated with delayed recovery from illness, slowed wound healing and impacts the quality of life.

However, we might only recognise the role of muscles when we have lost them, for example during hospitalization or falls.

Starting at the age of 40, adults can naturally lose up to 8 per cent of muscle every decade. After the age of 70, that rate almost doubles up to 15 per cent.

The good news is, while aging is a natural process, muscle loss can be slowed down or reversed, thanks to the discovery of HMB, a unique nutritional ingredient that helps protect and build muscle mass.

So what is HMB and why is it important to build muscle mass?

HMB and what you might not know

Most of us probably haven’t heard of HMB, it’s a natural protein-related compound that’s vital to your muscle health.

HMB (known as beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate), a metabolite of the essential amino acid leucine. Our bodies produce HMB when it breaks down leucine, an amino acid that comes from protein-rich foods.

We all know that the body builds up muscle from protein. But there is another ingredient supporting this process, it’s HMB.

HMB is proven to trigger the synthesis of muscle proteins. When combined with a high-quality protein, HMB will help protect and build muscle mass.

The power of HMB in preventing muscle loss of the elderly

In addition, HMB tells the body to preserve your existing muscle cells, especially when the body is under stress that can cause muscle loss.

To put it simple, HMB can be seen as a Gate, and proteins as energetic little puppies. HMB will keep your protein “puppies” in and help to protect and preserve your muscles.

In fact, HMB has been widely known for many years by the fitness community. But recent scientific studies have shown that HMB also has great benefits in support strength of the elderly people, helping them maintain their active lifestyle even after reaching 50.

The impact of HMB has been studied extensively and is the subject of many accredited papers.

Abbott has been focused on pioneering scientific research on muscle health and HMB for over 15 years, through more than 20 clinical studies.

One of those studies in 2013, Abbott researchers found that HMB supplements can help older adults prevent muscle loss while on periods of bed rest lasting up to 10 days. And in another study in Experimental Gerontology, HMB in combination with eight weeks of resistance training significantly improved patients’ muscle strength.

Abby Sauer, a nutritionist at Abbott, says that "HMB tells your body to preserve your existing muscle cells, especially when your body is under stress that can cause muscle loss. That’s why incorporating more HMB in your diet can help you cut down on muscle loss and regain your strength faster”.

Our bodies produce less HMB as we age. That is why consuming more of it through diet and supplements become more critical each year.

However, HMB is found in very small amounts in certain foods, so it is difficult to get the right amount of food through the daily diet.

Ensure Gold with HMB: A "hero" protects muscle health for the elderly

Understanding the important role of HMB for the elderly's health, Abbott, a global healthcare company, has focused on researching the muscle health and the nutrition HMB for more than 15 years.

The new Ensure Gold with HMB has recently launched in Vietnam after a long period of research, which provides a nutritional solution that can help older adults prevent muscle loss.

Studies have shown the new Ensure Gold with HMB can help improve muscle strength in as early as eight weeks such as having stronger legs, improving walking distance, increased forearms muscle density and handgrip endurance.

With two glasses of Ensure Gold contains HMB each day, the elderly can provide the body with the right amount of HMB (1.48g HMB).

In addition, the new Ensure Gold has 20 per cent more triple protein blend to help building muscle tissue, three times more vitamin D and 28 essential vitamins and minerals to help improve strength in as early as eight weeks.

Introducing this breakthrough innovation to Vietnam, Douglas Kuo, general manager of Abbott Vietnam said, “'Aging is inevitable and it causes the loss of strength. However, it is not necessarily associated with holding you back from doing everyday activities and the things you love. Maintaining your muscles now is important as they impact your overall health, wellbeing and quality of life.”

"Abbott is proud to bring a gift of strength to the elderly - the new Ensure Gold with HMB, which helps the elderly do what they love every day in the golden years," he emphasised.