Description
Equine Athlete Chromium – Plus contains organic chromium, amino acids important to muscle performance and repair and Vitamin B6. Human athletes have known about the role of Chromium as an essential nutrient for years. However, it is only since 1992 that equine researchers have clearly defined Chromium’s role in improving performance. Kentucky researchers have shown that horses fed 5mg of organic Chromium per day had significantly lower blood lactate and blood cortisol levels after intense exercise.
Lactic Acid is a by-product of energy metabolism. During intense exercise, it is accumulated in muscles and causes fatigue. Chromium has been shown to slow the build-up of lactic acid in the blood during strenuous exercise and delay the onset of fatigue. Thus increasing the amount of time an individual horse could sustain a maximal effort during intense exercise, racing or competition.
Cortisol is commonly termed the “stress hormone”. Levels increase during stressful periods. Increased cortisol levels lead to a reduction in insulin levels. This results in reduced energy utilization and protein synthesis, important factors in the athletic horse. Chromium enhances the effect of insulin and improves the uptake of glucose and amino acids into the muscle cells.
Tests have also shown that supplementation with organic Chromium has been shown to increase stress resistance and improve immunity, helping with improving resistance to bacterial and viral diseases. Organic Chromium is a useful nutritional supplement to assist horses that may be susceptible to muscle Tye-up.
Further studies have shown that blood insulin was lower in horses on 5 mg per day, thus reducing the likelihood of a horse developing insulin resistance when on grain or high starch feeds. This effect may also be beneficial for overweight or obese horses as they are predisposed to develop insulin resistance.
Human studies have shown how daily supplementation with Chromium increases muscle gain and reduces body fat when combined with a physical training programme.
Equine Athlete CR3 Chromium- Plus also contains the essential branched chain amino acids Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine which are utilised directly by skeletal muscles to repair the muscle cells that are damaged during intense exercise. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is involved in the metabolism of these amino acids.
