PURPOSE: -methylbutyrate free acid (HMB-FA) supplementation influences muscle damage, oxidative stress, and antioxidant biomarkers in elite judoka. METHODS: ². RESULTS: = 0.001), but more so in the placebo group (-29.9%) than in the HMB-FA group (-18.6%). CONCLUSION: Acute post-exercise HMB-FA supplementation in elite judo athletes did not significantly influence muscle damage or oxidative stress markers but transiently increased antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, GPX, and SOD). These findings suggest an enzyme-specific effect and highlight the need for future studies using more precise oxidative-stress markers and cellular assays to better evaluate antioxidant responses; however, these effects should be interpreted with caution due to potential limitations related to assay sensitivity and the timing of measurements.
Tayebi et al. (2026) studied this question.