As the seasons change and weather becomes cooler, we horse owners and our equine companions face new challenges. Transitioning from the warmth of Summer to cooler temperatures and shorter daylight hours requires adjustments in management strategies to keep our horses performing at their best all year round.
An important part of ensuring our horses perform at their best starts with muscle health care. The following points will give insights into how the colder weather affects muscle performance in horses and offer some practical tips for maintaining muscle health during this time.
Muscle Stiffness
It is a well-known fact that colder weather can have an impact on the muscle performance of human athletes. This is similar in horses as they too can experience decreased muscle performance in colder weather. Cold temperatures affect muscle blood flow and contraction, leading to stiffness and reduced elasticity. The reason for this is that the body will prioritise the health of vital organs over muscles. This affects muscle blood flow which makes it harder for the body to handle the build-up of lactic acid in the muscle.
Muscle Soreness
Depending on the intensity of exercise your horse is experiencing during the cooler months, there is a chance that the muscle and the surrounding connective tissue will get a little torn and damaged. This is totally normal! It is this muscle damage that leads to the muscle being repaired and stronger than before, but as a result of this damage your horse will feel muscle soreness.
Handy tips: Don’t forget to warm up and cool down slightly longer in cooler months to help with blood flow to the muscles. A longer cool down will also help the muscles deal with potential soreness created by the workout. Both of these simple tips can help the muscle maintain its performance!
Muscle Growth
Nutrition will always remain at the forefront when it comes to muscle health. In autumn, our horse’s nutritional needs will change, because the colder months alter the nutrient levels of the feed we give them. Therefore we will have to adjust their diet to make sure they maintain their condition through the season.
The colder temperatures often lead to inconsistent workloads, especially if you don’t have access to undercover facilities. This means your horse might take longer periods off from consistent exercise due to weather conditions.
How supplements can help your horse’s muscle health during the colder months
As the weather gets colder, it is understandable that you might struggle with consistent exercise. Therefore, it is important to focus on using a supplement that not only helps repair those tiny muscular tears caused by exercise but also helps with muscle development. This is where MuscleBUILDA®, the double action muscle-building supplement, comes into play as it is the ideal choice during those colder months ahead.
MuscleBUILDA helps with:
Muscle stiffness: The potent antioxidant, gamma oryzanol, in the formulation helps the muscles combat any muscle stiffness that might be caused by the build-up of lactic acid inside the muscle. Reduced stiffness equals better performance.
Muscle soreness: The pure form Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) assist with replenishing and repairing muscles after exercise. Obtaining BCAAs in the pure form allows them to be more readily available for your horse to use.
Muscle growth: The arginine, glycine, and proline in the formulation are ‘net protein utilisation’ amino acids. They help create a positive nitrogen balance within the muscle tissue. A positive nitrogen balance helps the body’s ability to absorb the pure form BCAAs for muscle recovery and repair which then help promote the function of the Gamma Oryzanol that then leads to improved muscle-fat ratio and muscle development.
More reasons to reach for MuscleBUILDA:
- Non-swabbable
- Does not cause excitability
- Sugar-free. Great choice for metabolic horses!
- Easy to use liquid
- Palatable
What’s next?
If you want to find out more about muscle-building supplements, visit the MuscleBUILDA page, or get in touch on 1800 KELATO or email technical@kelato.com.au
