Quick Specs
What I Like
What I Don't
Quick flag before we get into it: this is a product overview, not a review. The tub is not in my hands yet, and once it has been through the rotation at Black Iron Athletics, a full hands-on review will replace this page.
The Label Read
Creatine HMB is Transparent Labs doing what the name promises. The label is fully disclosed, no proprietary blends, and the doses are printed in plain numbers: 5,000 mg of creatine monohydrate, 1,500 mg of myHMB, 500 IU of vitamin D3, and 5 mg of BioPerine black pepper extract. No artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives.
The creatine dose is the one that matters, and it is correct. Five grams of monohydrate is the most researched dose of the most researched supplement there is. I covered why every dad over 30 should be on it in my Thorne Creatine review, and none of that changes here.
The paper trail is the other reason this brand gets a page. Transparent Labs states that every product undergoes Informed Choice testing, and this product page links its own lab PDFs: a heavy metals and micro purity COA plus a separate ingredient verification test. In an industry full of fairy dust in fancy tubs, published lab work is the bar. One thing Informed Choice is not: NSF Certified for Sport. My drug-tested athletes stay on Thorne for that reason.
Who It Is For
The HMB and vitamin D angle is aimed at guys who want recovery support stacked into their creatine instead of buying three tubs. Fair enough. Be honest with yourself about the science, though. Creatine's case is bulletproof. HMB's case in trained lifters is mixed, and the research is a lot less settled than the marketing sounds. You are buying a sure thing with a maybe riding along.
If you just want the sure thing at the lowest cost, plain monohydrate wins. If you like the idea of one scoop covering creatine, HMB, and a little vitamin D, this is one of the few versions with lab work you can actually read. See where it fits in the bigger picture in the dad stack guide and the full Transparent Labs buying guide.
The Honest Math
The 30-serving tub runs $49.99, which works out to $1.67 a serving. Subscribe and Save drops it to $43.99, about $1.47 a serving. That is a real premium over plain creatine, and the premium is the HMB. Military, veterans, and first responders get 15% off through GovX ID verification, which stacks the math a little friendlier for those who serve.
Full transparency: I am an approved Transparent Labs affiliate, and links on this page pay the site. I did not receive this product free, and this overview was published ahead of hands-on testing. The full review lands once I have trained with it.
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. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement.
After Action Report
On paper this is a properly dosed creatine with a real testing trail and two add-ons of debatable value. The label earns a hard look. The verdict waits until the tub goes through the rotation at Black Iron Athletics.
MIKE MANNING
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