What discipline do you practice?
Dressage, jumping, eventing, endurance, reining.
Regardless of the discipline in which you perform: you can only expect top performance if your horse is in top shape.
In other words: if your horse gets the necessary nutrients.
When exercising intensively, nutrients are consumed at a lightning-fast rate, and they all need to be replenished quickly as well .
In the blog “Muscles for Fun,” we talked about nutrients, fuels, recovery substances and training as key factors for muscle building, muscle maintenance and muscle recovery.
In this blog, we focus entirely on your horse’s total recovery after exercise.
During exercise, there is a natural loss of fluid and electrolytes through sweat.
However, these elements are essential for tissue repair and proper muscle and nervous system function.
Fluid and electrolyte deficiency can lead to tense muscles, muscle cramps, decreased work ethic, impaired performance and dehydration.
Exercise can cause salt-moisture imbalance, but stress states and high temperatures also affect it.
Electrolyte loss through sweating must therefore be replenished.
During intense exercise, muscle cells are damaged.
This, combined with the formation of lactic acid, can cause the development of stiffness and reduced performance.
Muscle acidosis means that muscle acidity is too high.
Acids can be neutralized by bases.
Bicarbonate is a well-known base increasingly used by athletes to neutralize lactic acid and thus prevent and cure muscle acidosis.
Less commonly discussed are gastrointestinal symptoms associated with intense exercise.
In several studies worldwide, a significant number of marathon runners demonstrated blood in the stool at the end of exercise.
This can be explained by intestinal ischemia, a lack of oxygen due to reduced blood flow to the abdominal organs during exercise.
Mechanical stress due to the movements of the gastrointestinal system during running may also be a cause.
Supplements with products that provide additional support for gut health can be valuable. Reflorish is an innovative supplement to support the horse’s recovery from exercise.
The Reflorish is an effervescent tablet with electrolytes as well as muscle- and intestine-supporting ingredients.
The Reflorish contributes to rapid recovery after exercise and helps against muscle acidification.
It also supports and protects the intestine.
Author: Hilde Vrancken
Veterinary specialist
