What nutrients can help my horse in performance recovery?

What nutrients can help my horse in performance recovery? 

We all like to know we are doing the best for our horses, especially when we are out competing, and they are trying their hardest for us. We feed them everything they need leading up to a competition but what about after? Are we doing all we can to help them recover.  

One of the biggest things we should be looking at post exercise is muscle repair, not unlike human athletes’, horses suffer from many of the same things, including muscle soreness and fatigue.  

Some things are listed below that you can provide to your horse leading up to an event and after to help them recovery better and quicker, doing these few small things means they can be at their peak for your next event. 

• Branch Chain Amino Acids – Valine, Leucine and Isoleucine make up 1/3 of all muscle protein and need to be replenished after strenuous activity. They help maintain muscle mass, decrease muscle tissue breakdown and optimize muscle repair.  

• Protein – Required to help in repair of muscle fibres and assist in forming new muscle cells. Poor muscle mass or lack of muscle mass can lead to fatigue and poor muscle function.  

• Vitamin E – A key antioxidant necessary for optimum recovery and performance. It helps protect cells from free radicals which are produced naturally during exercise, and can negatively impact tissue and muscle function when in excess. 

• Electrolytes – Including Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium, assist with muscle function, and fight against muscle weakness, fatigue and cramping. 

• Antioxidants – Like Vitamin E, helps reduce the inflammatory responses in the muscles from strenuous exercise, and controls the loading of free radicals.  

• Salts – Alongside electrolytes, salts (sodium and chloride) are essential for maintaining hydration, as well as controlling muscle contraction and release.   

Ensuring your horse has the best recovery post heavy work and helping to prevent things such as muscle strains or cramping will make sure you horse continues to perform at their peak. Recovery will depend on fitness level, strength and the level of exercise they are performing. It’s important to remember the heavier the workload the more time it will take for them to bounce back, but making sure they receive everything they need will make that recovery so much easier. A supplement such as Ranvet’s Recovery-Aid Powder or Paste can aid in supplementing your horse with these extra nutritional tools to support their optimal recovery.