CREATINE HMB

Creatine Monohydrate | 5,000 mg

The performance-enhancing (ergogenic) effects of creatine supplementation are irrefutable and well-established in scientific literature. Supplementation with creatine (monohydrate) works by increasing the amount of creatine within your muscle cells (called "muscle creatine stores").
 

The additional creatine supply in your muscles serves as a reservoir of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), especially during intense and enduring exercise. Hence, creatine supplementation is consistently shown to improve athletic performance and body composition when combined with resistance training [1]. 
 

Notable Studies Referencing the Effects of Creatine:
 

An updated review from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests that creatine supplementation combined with resistance training significantly improves training adaptations (at a cellular and subcellular level), which may lead to increased strength, accelerated recovery time, and enhanced body composition [2]. Several meta-analyses have confirmed these ergogenic effects of creatine supplementation [3, 4, 5, 6].
 

In addition, long- and short-term creatine supplementation has been shown to increase muscle mass (and potentially reduce fat mass) in active individuals [7].

β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate (as MyHMB™) | 1,500 mg

Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), a metabolite of the essential amino acid leucine, has been extensively studied for its potential benefits on muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance, with promising results [8]. 

When combined with creatine monohydrate, HMB may confer additive effects leading to further improvements in body composition, physical performance, and recovery time [9].

Notable Clinical Studies Referencing the Effects of HMB:
 

A nine-week, randomized, controlled trial of healthy, resistance-trained men found that HMB supplementation had a clear bolstering effect on fat-free mass and substantially strengthened lower-body muscles compared to the placebo group [10].
 

Another study on college students concluded that HMB supplementation positively affects selected components of aerobic performance (such as muscular endurance) [11]. 

This study is centered around the effects of HMB supplementation on oxygen capacity for endurance athletes, which found that blood glucose was significantly greater during HMB use and concludes that HMB supplementation may have positive effects on performance [12].
 

Lastly, a recent meta-analysis demonstrated that older adults may benefit from HMB supplementation as it can help prevent muscle loss due to aging [13].

BioPerine® | 5 mg

The black pepper plant (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine that bears fruits (peppercorns) containing roughly 2-7.4% piperine by mass. In comparison, BioPerine®, a standardized extract of black pepper, contains a minimum 95% piperine by mass. 

Hence, as little as 5 mg BioPerine® provides as much piperine as 250 mg of most black pepper spices. (For reference, 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper weighs about 500 mg.)
 

Piperine, the major alkaloid found in black pepper, has been an emphasis of research in recent years due to its promising bioavailability-enhancing properties [14]. 

In other words, supplementing with BioPerine® helps increase the amount of active ingredient absorption in Transparent Labs Creatine HMB.

Vitamin D3 | 12.5 mcg (500 IU)

Vitamin D, often referred to as the "sunshine vitamin," is an essential fat-soluble micronutrient that plays a particularly important role in maintaining healthy bones, nervous system function, and muscle mass. It is synthesized in the skin upon exposure to sunlight and is also found in a variety of foods.
 

Research has shown that vitamin D can enhance the muscle protein synthesis rate, particularly when combined with other anabolic factors like insulin and HMB [15]. This is thought to be through the sensitization of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, which is a key regulator of protein synthesis in muscle cells.
 

The combined effect of vitamin D with HMB and insulin leads to further activation of protein synthesis, suggesting a synergistic role of vitamin D in enhancing muscle anabolism/growth.