NOW Sports · HMB · Capsules
Is NOW Sports HMB 500 mg underdosed?
Verdict
2–3 g a dayas the label directs · studies use 38 mg/kg/day of HMB
Effective doseTaken as the label directs (2–3 servings a day, 1 g each), it gives 2–3 g a day; studies use 38 mg/kg/day (2.85 g at 75 kg). Studies dose it by bodyweight; this uses 75 kg. The least the directions give (2 g) is below that range; the most reaches it.
One capsule gives 500 mg, so reaching the low end of what studies use (2.85 g) takes 5.7 capsules a day; it ranks 5th of 10 HMB supplements here by dose.
6 capsules a day reach 2.85 g at 75 kg.
What the label says
- HMB per serving
- 1 g in 2 capsules
- Servings a day
- 2–3 servings a day
- HMB a day, as directed
- 2–3 g
- Research dose
- 38 mg/kg/day Evidence: Moderate
Suggested Usage: Take 2 capsules 2 to 3 times daily with food. For best results, use in conjunction with an exercise program.
Also on the label
| Ingredient | Per serving | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) [500 IU] | 13 mcg | Not graded |
| Calcium (Calcium Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate Monohydrate) | 160 mg | Not graded |
More about HMB: forms, timing and the studies behind the dose.
Same category, compared
All 10 HMB supplements we checked, ranked by dose (commission never changes the order). Studies use 38 mg/kg/day of HMB; servings counted to 2.85 g.
| Product | Per serving | Servings to reach it | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micro Ingredients Pure HMB Powder | 1 g | 2.9 | Powders |
| NutraBio HMB 1000 mg | 1 g | 2.9 | Capsules |
| Optimum Nutrition HMB 1000 Caps | 1 g | 2.9 | Capsules |
| NOW Sports Double Strength HMB 1000 mg | 1 g | 2.9 | Tablets |
| NOW Sports HMB 500 mg (this product) | 1 g | 2.9 | Capsules |
| NOW Sports HMB Powder | 770 mg | 3.7 | Powders |
| Double Wood HMB 1,000 mg | 1 g | 2.9 | Capsules |
| Nutricost HMB 1,000 mg | 1 g | 2.9 | Capsules |
| BulkSupplements HMB 1000 mg Capsules | 825 mg | 3.5 | Capsules |
| BulkSupplements HMB Powder | 825 mg | 3.5 | Powders |
Where the reference doses come from
- HMB, 38 mg/kg/day: Kerksick et al., 2018; Wilson et al., 2013.
- Label data: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2026. https://dsld.od.nih.gov/. Label 314370, including its servings a day.
For a supplement taken every day we judge the most the label's directions give in a day, and show the least. Read the full methodology or the corrections log.