Topline Balance® Technology – Only from Nutrena®
How does Nutrena feed support topline vs other feed brands? What balance of amino acids should I look for on the feed tag? What is the best feed for topline health? Our equine nutritionists at Nutrena® brand break down some of these most frequently asked questions about topline and how Nutrena feeds exclusive Topline Balance® Technology can help. Because here at Nutrena, we believe what’s inside counts®.
Key Takeaways
- Topline balance is crucial for horse performance, relying on well-functioning muscles along the spine.
- Amino acids play a key role in muscle development, requiring correct amounts and ratios for optimal results.
- Nutrena’s Topline Balance® Technology offers a scientifically-backed blend of essential amino acids for muscle support.
- Nutrena’s premium feeds include SafeChoice®, ProForce®, and Empower® Topline Balance®, all designed to enhance topline health.
Why Is Topline Important?
The topline of the horse consists of muscles that run along the horse’s spine and are critical to their performance. For a horse to lift, collect, turn, jump, or stop, the topline and abdominal muscles must all function properly and be in peak condition. While exercise can help condition and train current muscles, it can’t build new muscles without the help of nutrition. To build and maintain muscle, your feeding program must provide amino acids in both the correct total amounts and the correct ratios to each other.
What Role Do Amino Acids Play in Muscle and Topline?
Different elements such as saddle fit, exercise, and genetics play a role in topline development. But when it comes to nutrition, protein, more specifically amino acids, are a big key player. Protein makes up 95% of hooves and hair, 92% of tendons, and 72% of muscles, and amino acids make up protein. There are 10 essential amino acids that need to be provided daily in the equine diet:
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
- Leucine
- Isoleucine
- Phenylalanine
- Histidine
- Arginine
For the best output, these amino acids are needed in specific amounts and ratios. In other words, two feeds with the same % Crude Protein can have completely different blends of amino acids that make the feed either more or less efficient at building muscle. This is why it’s important to check the guaranteed analysis for how many amino acids and how much of each are in your feed. Ensuring amino acid balance in feed is critical for delivering great appearance and sound growth and development.
Research-Backed Topline Balance® Technology
Nutrena has done extensive research studying the right blend of amino acids to provide the most support for your horse. That’s why our premium products like all of our SafeChoice® lineup, ProForce® lineup, and Empower® Topline Balance® guarantee at least three critical amino acids – Lysine, Methionine and Threonine – in levels and ratios designed to impact the topline and entire muscle structure of the horse. Our research was backed through internal testing and trial, where feed with Topline Balance® Technology was shown to increase loin muscle depth (topline muscles) by 9.3% on thin horses and 8% in horses with a 5-5.5 body condition score vs a control feed. In a second university trial, we saw similar results with horses gaining more loin muscle area when compared to a control diet with the same crude protein level.
Find Horse Feed with Topline Balance® Technology Near You
All of Nutrena premium feeds include Topline Balance® Technology including:
