The most effective joint supplement is the one your horse can actually use. There are any number of joint supplements available, but many simply end up wasted and passed through your horse’s system only to be tossed out with the soiled bedding. Flex+Max^® was formulated by an equine nutritionist and offers a strategic combination of key ingredients without fillers for comprehensive joint and cartilage care; it also offers enhanced bioavailability, so all that good stuff ends up where it’s needed. Read on to learn more about how bioavailability is critical for equine joint supplements.

What is bioavailability?

Bioavailability is how efficiently your horse absorbs and uses a nutrient. Ingredients must make their way from the acidic stomach environment to the colon and then cross that barrier into the bloodstream in order to be utilized. The nutrients from supplements with high bioavailability are more easily utilized by your horse’s body, so the horse gets more out of the supplement and you see results faster.

The science shows that effective bioavailability is largely a factor of nutrient molecule size. Flex+Max^® was designed knowing bioavailability is critical for equine joint supplements.

What makes Flex+Max^® unique?

We use a special low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate in Flex+Max^®, which is five times smaller than the chondroitin sulfate used in many other joint supplements. This low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate allows for better absorption and in turn enhances bioavailability to the joint cartilage.

In fact, successful human research proves that the molecular weight of chondroitin sulfate (CS) directly impacts its bioavailability.

The molecular weight of CS also affects its bioactivity. It is difficult for intact CS to pass through the gastric and intestinal mucosa. Low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate (LMWCS) could be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.¹

Dr. Juliet Getty, equine nutritionist, confirms that the high bioavailability of Flex+Max^® helps to ensure efficacy of the joint supplement because it means the horse can better absorb and utilize the nutrients. This enhanced bioavailability comes largely from the low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate, which allows it to be absorbed faster and more fully by the horse’s system as it works synergistically with the glucosamine HCl to protect joint cartilage.

Nutritionists, veterinarians and experienced horse owners agree that bioavailability is critical for equine joint supplements.

No loading dose needed

This high bioavailability is also the reason Flex+Max^® does not require a loading dose to start seeing results. Horses get all the nutrients they need at optimum levels, right from day one. Compare that to other supplements that require a two- to four-week loading dose.

With Flex+Max^® you get what you paid for

Levels of active ingredients in supplements can vary widely, which will drastically affect the results you see. Glucosamine levels can be especially inconsistent from scoop to scoop in some supplements.

Flex+Max^® offers guaranteed levels of all its ingredients and goes through independent testing to ensure consistent and accurate ingredient levels. We stand behind every scoop of Flex+Max^®, which is just part of what makes us the Horse World’s Most Trusted Name^®.

¹ Li L, Li Y, Feng D, Xu L, Yin F, Zang H, Liu C, Wang F. Preparation of Low Molecular Weight Chondroitin Sulfates, Screening of a High Anti-Complement Capacity of Low Molecular Weight Chondroitin Sulfate and Its Biological Activity Studies in Attenuating Osteoarthritis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2016; 17(10):1685.