Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
5g creatine monohydrate + 1.5g HMB + 5mg BioPerine per serving. Informed Sport certified. Multiple flavor options. ~$1.33/serving. The only creatine on our list with HMB for added muscle preservation.
- Unique formula with creatine + HMB + BioPerine
- Multiple flavors available (not just unflavored)
- Informed Sport certified for quality
- Fully transparent label — no proprietary blends
- Significantly more expensive at ~$1.33/serving
- HMB benefits are modest for most lifters
Quick Verdict
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is the most feature-rich creatine supplement on our list, combining 5g of creatine monohydrate with 1.5g of HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) and 5mg of BioPerine for enhanced absorption. It’s also the only creatine product in our top picks that comes in multiple flavors — a welcome option for men who want to mix creatine with water rather than hiding it in a shake. The trade-off is price: at ~$1.33 per serving, it costs roughly 6.5x what you’d pay for pure creatine monohydrate. Whether the added ingredients justify that premium depends on your goals and budget. 4.5/5.
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What Is Transparent Labs Creatine HMB?
Transparent Labs is a supplement company that built its brand on a simple promise: every ingredient and its exact dose is listed on the label, with no proprietary blends. In an industry where “proprietary blend” often means “we’d rather you didn’t know how little of each ingredient we included,” Transparent Labs’ approach is refreshing and exactly what its name implies.
Their Creatine HMB product goes beyond basic creatine monohydrate by including two additional active ingredients. The formula per serving breaks down as follows:
- Creatine Monohydrate — 5g: The same clinically-proven dose found in every quality creatine product. No surprises here.
- HMB (beta-Hydroxy beta-Methylbutyrate) — 1.5g: A metabolite of the amino acid leucine that has been studied for its potential to reduce muscle protein breakdown, particularly during caloric deficits, intense training, or periods of recovery.
- BioPerine (black pepper extract) — 5mg: A patented form of piperine that has been shown to enhance the bioavailability and absorption of certain nutrients. Including it with creatine and HMB is designed to help your body absorb more of what you’re consuming.
The product is Informed Sport certified, which means it undergoes third-party testing for banned substances — an important credential for athletes, though a step below the NSF Certified for Sport standard carried by products like THORNE Creatine. Transparent Labs also publishes their Certificate of Analysis (COA) for each batch, something few competitors do.
Key Features & Specs
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Creatine Per Serving | 5g (creatine monohydrate) |
| HMB Per Serving | 1.5g (as calcium beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) |
| BioPerine Per Serving | 5mg (black pepper extract) |
| Serving Size | ~8g (varies by flavor) |
| Calories | 5 |
| Servings Per Container | 30 |
| Price Per Serving | ~$1.33 |
| Flavors Available | Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Sour Grape, Black Cherry, Peach Mango, Hawaiian Splash, Unflavored, Strawberry Lemonade |
| Certifications | Informed Sport |
| Form | Powder |
| Sweetener | Stevia (natural) |
The Science Behind HMB
HMB is a metabolite of leucine, the most important amino acid for stimulating muscle protein synthesis. Your body naturally produces small amounts of HMB from the leucine you consume through protein, but supplemental HMB provides a much larger dose than you’d get through food alone.
The research on HMB is genuinely interesting but also genuinely mixed. The strongest evidence supports HMB’s anti-catabolic properties — meaning it may help reduce muscle protein breakdown rather than directly increasing muscle growth. This makes HMB most beneficial in specific scenarios:
- During caloric deficits: When you’re cutting or losing weight, muscle breakdown increases. HMB may help preserve lean mass during aggressive diets.
- During intense training phases: Periods of overreaching or significantly increased training volume can elevate muscle breakdown. HMB may blunt this effect.
- In older adults or untrained individuals: Research consistently shows stronger HMB benefits in populations that are more susceptible to muscle loss — older adults and people new to resistance training.
For well-trained lifters eating at maintenance or in a surplus, the additional benefits of HMB are likely modest. A 2019 meta-analysis in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle found that HMB supplementation improved lean mass gains and strength in untrained or older individuals but had smaller effects in trained athletes. This doesn’t mean HMB is useless for experienced lifters — just that the effect size is smaller and harder to notice on top of an already well-optimized training and nutrition program.
The dose in Transparent Labs’ formula is 1.5g, while most positive HMB studies use 3g/day. This is a half-dose, which is worth noting. Transparent Labs likely chose 1.5g as a compromise between efficacy, cost, and serving size. Whether 1.5g is enough to produce meaningful anti-catabolic effects is debatable, though some studies have shown benefits at this dose level.
BioPerine for Absorption
BioPerine is a patented extract of piperine from black pepper fruit, standardized to contain at least 95% piperine. Research has demonstrated that piperine can enhance the bioavailability of various nutrients by inhibiting certain metabolic enzymes in the gut and liver, effectively allowing more of a compound to reach your bloodstream.
The evidence for BioPerine enhancing creatine absorption specifically is limited. Creatine monohydrate already has excellent bioavailability (close to 100% when taken orally), so there may not be much room for improvement. The BioPerine is more likely to benefit HMB absorption, though direct studies on this specific combination are scarce. At 5mg, BioPerine is a low-cost, low-risk addition that may offer a marginal benefit — unlikely to be a game-changer, but unlikely to be worthless either.
Pros & Cons
What We Like
- Multi-ingredient formula with real science: Unlike many “enhanced” creatine products that add random ingredients for marketing purposes, HMB and BioPerine are both backed by legitimate research. The combination of creatine for performance plus HMB for muscle preservation is a thoughtful pairing, especially for men who train hard during cutting phases.
- Flavored options that taste good: This is the only creatine on our top list that offers multiple flavor options. Blue Raspberry and Tropical Punch are consistently praised in user reviews. Sweetened with stevia (no artificial sweeteners) — which is a genuine differentiator for men who avoid sucralose and acesulfame-K.
- Fully transparent label: Every ingredient and its exact dose is clearly listed. No proprietary blends, no “creatine matrix,” no vague ingredient groupings. You know exactly what you’re getting per scoop, which is how every supplement should be labeled.
- Informed Sport certified: Third-party testing for banned substances provides confidence for competitive athletes, though it’s worth noting this is a different (and somewhat less comprehensive) certification than NSF Certified for Sport.
What Could Be Better
- Price is steep: At ~$1.33 per serving, this is significantly more expensive than pure creatine monohydrate options. ON Micronized Creatine delivers the same 5g of creatine at ~$0.20/serving — meaning you could buy over 6 months of ON creatine for the cost of one tub of Transparent Labs. The added HMB and BioPerine are valuable, but the price gap is substantial.
- HMB benefits are context-dependent: For well-trained men eating in a caloric surplus, the 1.5g of HMB may not produce noticeable results. The research is stronger for untrained individuals, older adults, and people in caloric deficits. If you’re an experienced lifter in a bulking phase, you’re paying a premium for ingredients that may offer minimal additional benefit over plain creatine.
How It Compares
Against Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine, the comparison is pure creatine vs. enhanced formula. ON gives you 5g of Creapure creatine at ~$0.20/serving. Transparent Labs gives you that same 5g of creatine plus 1.5g HMB and 5mg BioPerine at ~$1.33/serving. If you want maximum value and believe that creatine monohydrate alone does the heavy lifting (which the research supports), ON is the better buy. If you’re in a cutting phase, prioritize muscle preservation, or simply want flavored creatine with natural sweeteners, Transparent Labs offers genuine added value.
Compared to THORNE Creatine, these products target different needs. THORNE’s advantage is its NSF Certified for Sport certification — the highest testing standard for competitive athletes. Transparent Labs carries Informed Sport certification, which is respected but less comprehensive. However, Transparent Labs offers a more complex formula and flavored options, while THORNE is unflavored creatine only. If drug-testing compliance is your primary concern, THORNE wins. If formula depth and flavor variety matter more, Transparent Labs is the better choice.
See our full Best Creatine Supplements for Men 2026 guide for a complete comparison of all our top picks.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
- Men in cutting or fat-loss phases who want creatine plus anti-catabolic support from HMB
- Anyone who prefers flavored creatine they can mix with water as a standalone drink
- Men who avoid artificial sweeteners and prefer stevia-sweetened products
- Lifters who value fully transparent labeling with clinically-dosed ingredients
- Older men (40+) who may benefit more from HMB’s muscle-preservation properties
Who Should Skip It
- Budget-conscious lifters who want maximum value per dollar — ON Micronized Creatine delivers the core ingredient at a fraction of the cost
- Drug-tested professional athletes who need NSF Certified for Sport (Informed Sport is good, but NSF is the recognized standard for most major sports leagues) — consider THORNE Creatine
- Experienced, well-fed lifters in a caloric surplus who are unlikely to see meaningful benefit from 1.5g HMB
- Men who prefer unflavored creatine to add to existing shakes (though Transparent Labs does offer an unflavored option)
Where to Buy
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is available on Amazon and directly from transparentlabs.com. Purchasing directly from their website often provides the best pricing, especially with subscription discounts or bundle deals. Amazon pricing tends to match or run slightly higher than the direct-to-consumer price. Transparent Labs frequently offers site-wide promotions (15–20% off) during holiday weekends and major shopping events.
Check Current Price on AmazonFrequently Asked Questions
Is the HMB dose enough to be effective?
Most clinical studies on HMB use 3g per day, while Transparent Labs includes 1.5g per serving. This is a half-dose relative to the most-studied protocol. Some research has shown benefits at lower doses, but the strongest evidence comes from the 3g/day range. You could take two servings per day (10g creatine, 3g HMB) to reach the full clinical dose, but that doubles your cost to ~$2.66/day and provides more creatine than necessary. Realistically, 1.5g is a compromise dose that may offer some anti-catabolic benefit, particularly during cutting phases.
Does BioPerine actually help creatine absorption?
Creatine monohydrate already has near-complete oral bioavailability, so BioPerine’s impact on creatine absorption specifically is likely minimal. Its benefit is more plausible for HMB absorption, though direct studies on this combination are limited. At 5mg, BioPerine is a low-cost addition that falls into the “unlikely to hurt, might help” category. It shouldn’t be the primary reason you choose this product.
How do the flavors taste?
Transparent Labs flavors are generally well-received. Blue Raspberry and Tropical Punch are the most popular and consistently rated highly. The products are sweetened with stevia, which gives them a different sweetness profile than sucralose-sweetened alternatives — slightly less “candy-like” and more natural tasting. Some people detect a mild stevia aftertaste, but it’s minimal compared to many stevia-sweetened supplements. If you’re unsure, Blue Raspberry is the safest first choice.
Can I stack this with a pre-workout?
Yes, but check your pre-workout’s ingredient list first. Many pre-workouts already contain creatine, and doubling up could give you 10g+ per serving — which isn’t dangerous but is wasteful, since your body can only utilize a certain amount at a time. If your pre-workout already includes 3–5g of creatine, you don’t need Transparent Labs Creatine HMB on training days. You could take it only on rest days, or switch to a pre-workout without creatine.
Is this product vegan?
The creatine monohydrate is synthetically produced (not derived from animal sources) and the BioPerine is plant-derived. The HMB is typically produced via synthetic chemical processes as well. The product does not contain any animal-derived ingredients and is generally considered suitable for vegans. However, Transparent Labs does not carry an official vegan certification on this product, so strict vegans may want to contact the company directly for confirmation.
How long does one container last?
Each container provides 30 servings at one scoop per day, meaning one tub lasts exactly one month with daily use. At ~$1.33/serving, that’s approximately $40/month. By comparison, a 2kg tub of ON Micronized Creatine provides 400 servings and lasts over 13 months at a fraction of the monthly cost. The value equation is important to consider if you plan on long-term creatine supplementation (which you should — creatine works best with consistent, indefinite use).
Is Informed Sport as good as NSF Certified for Sport?
Both are reputable third-party testing programs, but they’re not identical. NSF Certified for Sport tests for over 270 banned substances and is specifically recognized by the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, PGA, and the USOPC. Informed Sport tests for substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List and is recognized by many international sports organizations. Both provide strong assurance against contamination, but NSF is generally considered the more comprehensive certification. For most recreational athletes and gym-goers, Informed Sport certification is more than adequate.
Final Rating: 4.5/5
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB earns our Best Formula designation because it’s the most thoughtfully designed creatine product on our list. The combination of creatine monohydrate, HMB, and BioPerine isn’t a gimmick — each ingredient has legitimate research behind it, and the fully transparent label shows exact doses. The flavored options and stevia sweetening are genuine differentiators in a category dominated by unflavored powders. The 4.5 rating reflects two honest limitations: the price premium is significant (~$1.33/serving vs. ~$0.20 for pure creatine), and the HMB benefits are most relevant for specific use cases (cutting, older lifters, beginners) rather than universally impactful. For men in those specific scenarios, Transparent Labs Creatine HMB offers real added value. For everyone else, the core performance driver — 5g of creatine monohydrate — is available for much less.
See Today's Price on AmazonLast updated: February 2026. We re-evaluate our reviews regularly based on formula changes, pricing, and reader feedback.
