NOW® HMB 500 mg with Vitamin D-3: Daily Lean Muscle Defense & Healthy Aging Support
NOW® HMB 500 mg provides a clinically studied blend of Calcium β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate and active Vitamin D-3 in easy-to-swallow vegetarian capsules. HMB is a natural substance your body creates in small amounts from the amino acid leucine to protect your muscle tissue from breaking down during exercise or as you get older. By helping slow down muscle loss and encouraging your body to build new muscle proteins, this clean formula supports physical strength, quicker workout recovery, and everyday mobility.
Quick Specs Snapshot
✓Active Form & Potency: 1,000 mg of pure HMB (500 mg per capsule) from Calcium β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate Monohydrate, paired with 160 mg of calcium and 12.5 mcg (500 IU) of Vitamin D-3 per 2-capsule serving.
✓Primary Cellular Target: Helps slow down the internal system that breaks down muscle fibers while signaling the mTOR switch that helps build new muscle proteins.
✓Supply & Value Math: 120 vegetarian capsules deliver 60 full servings (a 30- to 60-day supply), giving you easy control over your daily serving size.
✓Formulation Purity: Made with patented myHMB®, non-GMO, allergen-tested, packaged in plant capsules, and bottled in 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin.
Many discount and big-box store brands sell unpatented, raw HMB powders or cheap tablets that taste very sour, upset your stomach, and fail to absorb evenly. NOW® uses patented myHMB® bound to elemental calcium inside smooth vegetarian capsules. This calcium-bound form digests comfortably, enters your bloodstream smoothly, and includes active Vitamin D-3 to help your muscle cells use HMB more effectively.
Ideal For Shoppers Who:
✓Active Exercisers & Weight Lifters: People doing resistance training, cardio, or sports who want to recover faster, bounce back from muscle soreness, and protect their muscle tissue.
✓Active Seniors & Healthy Agers: Adults over 40 looking to preserve their natural strength, stay steady on their feet, and support daily muscle function.
✓Calorie Cutters & Fasting Athletes: Individuals cutting calories or working out while fasting who want to burn fat without losing muscle mass.
Consider Another Option If:
✗Doctor-Ordered Calcium Limits: You have been instructed by a physician to strictly limit calcium intake, since each 2-capsule serving provides 160 mg of dietary calcium.
✗Preference for Single-Pill High Doses: You prefer taking one large 1,000 mg tablet rather than two smaller vegetarian capsules.
✗Under 18 Years of Age: This supplement is made for adult nutritional needs and is not intended for children or teenagers.
Every purchase is backed by VitaNet®, LLC's unconditional 100% money-back guarantee—even on opened bottles, with return shipping covered—so you can test this formula completely risk-free.
How HMB and Vitamin D-3 Protect Your Muscles Step-by-Step
Think of your muscle tissue like a brick wall. Every day, your body removes worn-out bricks (muscle breakdown) and adds fresh, sturdy bricks (muscle building). Normally, your body turns only about 5% of the dietary leucine you eat into HMB. To get the 3,000 mg of HMB used in clinical research from regular food alone, you would have to eat around 50 pounds of beef every day. NOW® HMB gives you this protective compound directly to keep your muscle wall strong through four biological steps:
1. Turning Down the Muscle Shredder (Ubiquitin-Proteasome System)
When you exercise hard or experience everyday physical stress, your body turns on a microscopic "shredder" called the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. This process attaches tiny chemical tags to muscle proteins, marking them to be broken down. HMB helps quiet the genes that run this shredder, protecting your muscle fibers from being dismantled for quick energy (Nissen et al., Journal of Applied Physiology, 1996).
2. Flipping the Muscle-Building Switch (mTOR Signaling)
Besides stopping muscle breakdown, HMB acts like an "on" switch inside your cells. It directly stimulates a protein complex called mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin). When mTOR is turned on, it tells your muscle cells to take amino acids from your blood and weave them into new, strong muscle fibers (Wilkinson et al., The Journal of Physiology, 2013).
3. Patching the Outer Cell Wall (Sarcolemma Repair)
Every muscle fiber is wrapped in a protective skin called the sarcolemma. Intense exercise creates tiny micro-tears in this skin. Muscle cells cannot easily pull cholesterol out of your bloodstream to patch these tears. HMB serves as a direct internal building block for local cholesterol synthesis right inside the muscle, helping quickly repair the cell wall and reduce post-workout soreness.
4. The Vitamin D-3 Partner Effect
Your skeletal muscle cells have special docking ports called Vitamin D receptors. Vitamin D is essential for managing calcium (Ca2+) flow whenever your muscles contract. Clinical trials show that when Vitamin D levels are sufficient, muscle cells respond much better to HMB, leading to greater gains in strength and physical function than taking HMB alone (Rathmacher et al., The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2020).
NOW® Analytical Lab Testing: Defending You Against Contaminated Big-Box Brands
Many discount brands and big-box store supplements cut costs by buying unverified ingredients from overseas middlemen and skipping thorough laboratory testing. Independent testing often reveals that cheap store-brand supplements contain toxic heavy metals, pesticide residues, or far less active ingredient than the label promises. NOW® operates one of the most advanced private testing facilities in North America, certified under strict ISO/IEC 17025:2017 laboratory standards. Their team of over 150 scientists conducts more than 19,000 analytical tests every month to guarantee complete purity:
✓ ICP-MS Heavy Metal Testing
NOW tests every incoming batch using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). This instrument detects heavy metals down to parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. Raw materials must pass rigorous standards that easily beat California Proposition 65 and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) limits for lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
✓ HPLC & UPLC Potency Verification
Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC), NOW chemists verify the exact molecular fingerprint of Calcium HMB. This ensures every capsule contains the stated potency all the way to its expiration date, with zero cheap fillers.
✓ 500+ Chemical & Pesticide Screening
Using advanced Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS), raw ingredients are thoroughly screened for over 500 agricultural residues, chemical sprays, and synthetic solvents to confirm zero contamination.
Every production batch is held in quarantine until microbiological testing proves zero presence of harmful bacteria, including Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. NOW's production facilities hold an "A-rated" Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) certification from the Natural Products Association (NPA) and are audited by UL Solutions.
Getting the best results from HMB requires regular, consistent daily use. Here is how to fit it into your daily schedule:
Meal Timing & Absorption
Calcium HMB dissolves readily and can be taken on an empty stomach or with a meal. However, taking your capsules with food containing a small amount of dietary fat (such as eggs, nuts, or yogurt) improves the absorption of fat-soluble Vitamin D-3.
Daily Dosing Strategy
As a dietary supplement for adults, take 2 capsules 2 to 3 times daily with food. For active fitness routines, 3 servings daily (6 capsules total, providing 3,000 mg HMB) matches the clinical intake used in human athletic studies. Dividing your intake morning, afternoon, and evening keeps HMB levels steady.
Smart Combinations & Spacing
HMB works exceptionally well alongside Creatine Monohydrate (which restores cellular ATP energy) and Whey Protein. If you take thyroid medications or iron supplements, take them 2 to 4 hours away from HMB, as dietary calcium can bind to these compounds.
Timeline of What to Expect
Week 1 (Cellular Saturation): HMB builds up in your muscle cells. If you are exercising, you will likely notice faster recovery and less severe muscle soreness 24 to 48 hours after hard workouts.
Weeks 3–4 (Strength & Stamina): Muscle saturation reaches full effect. Your muscles feel fuller, work capacity during exercise improves, and mid-workout fatigue is noticeably reduced.
Months 2–3+ (Long-Term Preservation): Full cumulative benefits appear. Active older adults experience solid protection against natural muscle loss, improved daily strength, and reliable physical independence.
Here is an honest, firsthand look at what to expect when you open this bottle:
Delivery Format & Swallowability
NOW® packages this formula into standard-sized two-piece vegetarian capsules. The smooth vegetable cellulose shells are lightweight and easy to swallow with a glass of water. Because the dose is split into 500 mg per capsule, you have the flexibility to take 1 capsule or 2 capsules at a time depending on your schedule.
Natural Aroma, Taste & Color
Raw HMB powder has an unpleasant, sharp chemical flavor. Because the powder is sealed inside a vegetarian shell, these capsules are virtually tasteless and odorless when swallowed. Slight color variations from bright white to off-white can occur naturally between batches.
Other Ingredients Demystified
Hypromellose (cellulose capsule): A 100% plant-based outer capsule shell derived from natural pine tree cellulose, making it completely vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Stearic Acid (vegetable source): A natural plant fat that keeps powders flowing evenly through encapsulating machinery without sticking.
Silicon Dioxide: A natural mineral compound (purified silica) that prevents moisture clumping and keeps the powder dry and stable.
Storage & Bottle Specifications
Store the bottle in a cool, dry, dark place after opening. The bottle is made from 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin, protecting the active nutrients from light while supporting environmental sustainability.
Supplement Facts & Retailer Verification
Complete label accuracy verified against official NOW® Foods manufacturing records (Item #N2054 / NOW 2054):
Other Ingredients: Hypromellose (cellulose capsule), Stearic Acid (vegetable source) and Silicon Dioxide.
Allergen Statement: Not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut, or sesame ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens.
Patent Notice: **myHMB® is a registered trademark of TSI Group Co., Ltd. U.S. Patent # 8,815,280, # 9,259,430, # 9,539,224, and # 9,707,241.
Safety Caution: For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.
Curator's Quality Note: Why Buy from VitaNet®, LLC?
Founded in 1995, VitaNet®, LLC is an independent, family-owned supplement retailer located at 887 Edison Street Northwest, Hartville, Ohio 44632. Bringing over 31 years of dedicated hands-on experience in human biochemistry and nutrition, we maintain strict quality standards that mass online marketplaces do not:
✓Direct Manufacturer Sourcing: Every bottle comes directly from NOW® authorized supply lines, guaranteeing authentic products.
✓Climate-Controlled Storage: All inventory is kept in temperature- and humidity-controlled facilities so active ingredients retain their full potency.
✓BBB A+ Accreditation & Real Customer Care: We have maintained an A+ Better Business Bureau rating for decades, with real customer support available by phone (330-877-8786).
✓Unconditional 100% Money-Back Guarantee: If you are not satisfied with your purchase, we will refund 100% of your money and pay for return shipping, even on opened bottles.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between these 500 mg HMB capsules and the 1000 mg Double Strength tablets?
This product provides 500 mg of HMB per capsule inside a vegetable capsule shell (2 capsules deliver 1,000 mg). It gives you the flexibility to take 1 capsule or 2 capsules at different times throughout the day. The Double Strength version compresses 1,000 mg into a single coated tablet, cutting the total pill count in half for those who prefer taking fewer, larger pills. Both products use the same patented myHMB® raw material and include Vitamin D-3.
Can I open these vegetarian capsules and mix the powder into a protein shake or water?
Yes. You can gently pull apart the two-piece hypromellose capsules and pour the powder into water, juice, applesauce, or a protein smoothie. The powder dissolves easily. Keep in mind that Calcium HMB has a slightly chalky mineral flavor, but opening the capsule does not reduce its nutritional value.
Why is Vitamin D-3 included in this HMB formula?
Vitamin D-3 plays a vital role in muscle health by interacting directly with Vitamin D receptors on your muscle fibers. Studies show that when Vitamin D levels are sufficient, muscle cells absorb and respond to HMB much more effectively, producing better physical strength and functional performance than HMB taken alone.
Will taking NOW HMB capsules break my intermittent fast?
No. Calcium HMB is an amino acid metabolite containing virtually zero calories, carbohydrates, or fats, and it does not cause an insulin spike. Many people take HMB before morning fasted workouts specifically to help protect their muscles from breakdown while staying in a fasted state.
Can I take these HMB capsules together with Creatine and Whey Protein?
Yes. In fact, combining HMB with Creatine Monohydrate and Whey Protein is one of the most effective stacks for muscle recovery and strength. Creatine fuels rapid muscular power, whey protein supplies amino acids to rebuild tissue, and HMB prevents excessive muscle breakdown while accelerating workout recovery.
