A new HMB study has appeared in the British Journal of Nutrition (1). The authors compared the bioavailability of a free acid gel form of HMB with the calcium salt (calcium HMB) in capsule form. The gel was either swallowed right away or held under the tongue (sublingually) for 15 seconds before swallowing. The free acid gel produced nearly 200% greater peak concentrations of HMB than the calcium salt, whether it was swallowed right away or held under the tongue before swallowing. The results also suggest that the HMB from the gel was more efficiently taken up by tissues. The authors concluded, “These data offer the theoretical advantages of delivering a better dosing method based upon ease of administration, and achieving higher sustained HMB plasma concentration that could improve HMB availability and efficacy to tissues.”
I reached out to one of the authors, Dr. Rathmacher, who I have corresponded with in the past. I asked him when the free acid gel form of HMB might be available on the market. Dr. Rathmacher said that no release date has yet been established.
REFERENCE
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21134325
