EN
HMB, or -beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, is a metabolite of the Leucine amino acid and is produced naturally by the human body. HMB is produced from ketoisocaproate (KIC) a metabolite of leucine by the KIC-dioxygenase enzyme. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) on the structural strength of bones and the mineral density (BMD) of femur and lumbar vertebrae bones (L2-L4) in rats with established osteopenia. The experiment was conducted on 30 female Wistar rats, aged 3 months with an initial body weight of approximately 250 g. The femur was isolated on day 60 of the experiment and the three point bending test and BMD were performed. The lumbar vertebrae (l2-L4) were also investigated. The study revealed that beta-hydroxy and beta-methylbutyrate added to drinking water has a positive effect on BMD in femur, lumbar vertebrae and bone strength in ovariectomized Wistar rats.