Fermented Yeast Supplement May Help Exercise Recovery

Due to the stress that equine athletes endure with exercise, optimizing the health of performance horses is paramount. Dietary interventions such as antioxidants, natural anti-inflammatory products such as omega-3 fatty acids, and electrolytes can help achieve this goal. Most recently, veterinary researchers^* looked toward a fermented yeast product, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a potential adjunct to exercise recovery.

“The goal of the study was to determine if S. cerevisiae could decrease markers of exercise-induced stress, such as the acute phase protein serum amyloid A and the stress hormone cortisol,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist.

Researchers used young Quarter Horse yearlings that either had or had not received the dietary supplement underwent a 2-hour submaximal standardized exercise test (SET). Serum amyloid A and cortisol values were measured in the supplemented and unsupplemented horses and compared over time.

Serum amyloid A levels increased after the SET in the control group of horses but remained low in the supplemented group. Cortisol increased in both groups after the SET but returned to normal more quickly in the supplemented horses.

The study found that 8 weeks of supplementation with 21 g/day of fermented S. cerevisiae “may mitigate stress following prolonged exercise in horses.”

Vitamin E also possesses well-documented potent antioxidant properties. Kentucky Equine Research offers Nano-E, a water-soluble product that uses advanced nanotechnology to create a rapidly available and absorbed source of vitamin E. It is easily top-dressed onto your horse’s feed, which allows timed administration for peak antioxidant protection.

 ^*Valigura, H., J. Leatherwood, R. Martinez, et al. 2019. Dietary supplementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product attenuates exercise-induced stress markers in young horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 76:48.