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I've gotten several posts the past week about supplementing protein, so
I think it might be worthwhile to explain a little further about when,
where and why to supplement. Some of this is scientific fact, some is
opinion, both mine and that of some well-respected horsepeople both in
the academic community and out in the field.
The thing about feeding protein is that you don't just want to provide
quantity, you must provide QUALITY for maximum performance. When
nutritionists talk about "protein quality", this is what they mean.
Different sources of protein provide different amounts of the amino
acids that make up protein---one source may provide a high level of one
amino acid and almost zero of another, while a different protein source
may provide moderate amounts of both. Every protein source is
different. A "high quality" protein source is one that supplies a good
variety of several essential amino acids. If you're feeding a horse
only a limited ration, for example grass hay and oats, then it is likely
that the diet is deficient in one or more of the essential aa's.
When talking about amino acids, you'll hear about the "essential" amino
acids---these are the one which cannot be synthesized by the body in
sufficient quantities, they MUST be provided as well in the diet. The
amino acid considered the first "limiting" in horses (and other species)
is lysine. It is the aa most likely to be deficient, and so if a
horse's ration contains sufficient lysine, it is almost certainly going
to be sufficient in the other essential amino acids, as well.
So why do sufficient aa's make a difference? Think of each amino acid
as a different letter of the alphabet, and proteins as words.
--------------3F1F4DD0803--
--------------17B021B1202B--
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