Muscle-Max is a 100% natural multi-tasking nutraceutical that can assist many horses and ponies for different reasons. Muscle Max is ideal for hard working horses, older horses, poor conditioned horses, “hot” horses over energised by carbohydrates, horses showing difficulties with digestion., overweight horses and those needing support for immune systems.
Essentially, it is a feed supplement formulated to maximise the efficiency of muscle metabolism.
It does this in two ways, by improving lean muscle mass and by reducing the effects of post exercise muscle fatigue.
Waste products from the energy burning process include water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, lactic acid and free radicals, all of which have the potential to reduce muscular efficiency.
Free radicals can cause serious damage to the muscle cell membrane. It is these free radicals, in conjunction with the waste ammonia and lactic acid, that many equine sport scientists believe are responsible for muscle fatigue and post exercise muscle soreness. (Mowry et al., 1022).
Antioxidants are substances that inactivate the free radicals within the cell. There are many nutritional antioxidants, mostly found in plants. Muscle-Max is an antioxidant supplement that contains stabilised rice-bran, a rich source of glycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids and glycolipids. Its principal antioxidants are the tocopherols, tocotrienols and gamma oryzanol, as well as inositol, phytic acid and choline.
Vitamin E is one of the Tocopherols found in Muscle-Max, but it is the tocotrienols that are many times more potent than Vitamin E, that makes it such a potent antioxidant formulation (Chong et al., 2025).
Gamma Oryzanol is a natural component of rice bran and as well as acting as an antioxidant, it has also been shown to reduce muscle fatigue and improve appetite.
Muscle Max also contains chromium picolinate, which is not an antioxidant but is a natural chromium salt. Supplementing horses can ensure the maintenance of muscle homeostasis. It has been shown to increase the rate glucose is metabolised and to lower blood lactic acid levels during exercise.
Research in the USA has shown that racehorses in full training, supplemented with 5mgs per day, had 13% lower blood lactate levels after intense exercise than the control horses used in the study (Pagan et al., 1995)
In summary Muscle-Max combines the antioxidant properties of stabilised rice bran and along with chromium picolinate helps to reduce muscle fatigue and post exercise muscle damage. It also creates muscle gain and a reduction in body fat. It is a 100% natural product that can be used right up to and during competition. It is formulated with an apple flavour that horses find palatable.
Available sizes: 2kg, 5kg, 20kg
| Daily Dose Rate | |
|---|---|
Ponies – 60gm |
Yearlings – 160gm |
Sport Horses – 80 -100gm |
Performance & Racehorses – 160gm |
Underweight horse – 160gm | |
The dose rate can easily be adjusted to suit horses’ individual needs.
Because it is a fat-based source of energy, it is carbohydrates like grains that can make a horse too energetic.
They can, it is useful to help a thin horse improve condition, the amount of the daily dose of muscle max can be adjusted so weight gain is not an issue, and chromium will prevent fat pads .
Yes, it can do if larger doses are given, it is important to make sure sufficient calcium is in the diet, adding a fully formulated mineral mix or feeding lucerne chaff will be beneficial. Muscle Max is not a feed, so a supplement amount is unlikely to be a problem.
Yes, the oil and the antioxidants in the rice bran will help to produce a glossy healthy coat.
Yes, the rice bran is easily digested by the older horse and can assist to maintain muscle mass (Filipiak et al., 2024).
Chong, J. Y., Huang, T.-C., Chueh, S.-M., Ma, C.-Y., Kuo, T.-T., He, J.-J., Lo, Y.-J., Peng, K.-C., Ali, M., Chang, H.-Y., & Hsia, S.-M. (2025). γ-Tocotrienol attenuates oxidative stress and preserves mitochondrial function in inflammation-induced muscle atrophy. Redox Biology, 87, Article 103874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2025.103874
Filipiak, W., Cieślak, A., Gogulski, M., Kołodziejski, P., & Szumacher-Strabel, M. (2022). Rice bran in old horses nutrition and its influence on condition, blood biochemical parameters, total faeces bacteria and methanogen population. Annals of Animal Science, 23(1), 173–183. https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2022-0051
Mowry, K., Thomson, T., Morales, C., Smith, R., Fikes, K., & Suagee-Bedore, J. (2022). 15 potential benefits of rice bran oil for lightly worked young horses. Journal of Animal Science, 100(Supplement_1), 13–14. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac028.025
Ostaszewski, P., Kowalska, A., Szarska, E., Szpotański, P., Cywińska, A., Bałasińska, B., & Sadkowski, T. (2012). Effects of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate and γ-oryzanol on blood biochemical markers in exercising Thoroughbred race horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 32(9), 542–551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2012.01.002
Ott, E. A., & Kivipelto, J. (1999). Influence of chromium tripicolinate on growth and glucose metabolism in yearling horses. Journal of Animal Science, 77(11), 3022–3030. https://doi.org/10.2527/1999.77113022x
Pagan, J. D., Jackson, S. G., & Duren, S. E. (1995). The effect of chromium supplementation on metabolic response to exercise in Thoroughbred horses. Proceedings of the 14th Equine Nutrition and Physiology Society Symposium.
Muscle Max is a feed supplement formulated to maximise the efficiency of muscle metabolism. It does this in two ways, by improving lean muscle mass and by reducing the effects of post exercise muscle fatigue. A large part of the daily energy requirement of the equine athlete is used by the skeletal muscles to power the contractions that give the horse its attributes of speed, endurance and strength – maximise the efficiency of muscle metabolism – a muscle builder.
The energy from feed is stockpiled in the muscles in the form of glycogen. Through a chain of biochemical reactions within the muscle cells, the glycogen is oxidised to release Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) the chemical energy source used to power the muscle cells. The oxidation process requires large amounts of oxygen, hence the need for an efficient blood supply.
The waste products from this energy burning process include water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, lactic acid and free radicals, all of which have the potential to reduce muscular efficiency. Free radicals can cause serious damage to the muscle cell membrane. It is these free radicals, in conjunction with the waste ammonia and lactic acid, that many equine sport scientists believe are responsible for muscle fatigue and post exercise muscle soreness.
Antioxidants are substances that have the ability to inactivate the free radicals within the cell. There are many nutritional antioxidants, mostly found in plants. Muscle-Max is an antioxidant supplement that contains stabilised rice-bran. Rice bran is a rich source of glycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids and glycolipids. Its principle antioxidants are the tocopherals, tocotrienols and gamma oryzanol, as well as inositol, phytic acid and choline. Vitamin E is one of the Tocopherols found in Muscle-Max, but it is the tocotrienols that are 50 times more potent than Vitamin E, that makes rice branl such a potent antioxidant formulation.
Gamma Oryzanol is a natural component of rice bran and as well as acting as an antioxidant, it has also been shown to reduce muscle fatigue and improve appetite.
Muscle Max also contains chromium picolinate, which is is not an antioxidant but is an active chromium salt used as a natural nutritional supplement. Supplementing horses with low levels ensures sufficient chromium is available to the horse to ensure it can maintain muscle homeostasis.
In summary Muscle-Max combines the antioxidant properties of stabilised rice bran and along with chromium picolinate helps to reduce muscle fatigue and post exercise muscle damage. It is a 100% natural product that can be used right up to and during competition. It is formulated with an apple flavour that horses find palatable.
Available Sizes: 2kg, 5kg, 20kg
Dosage:
60gm (150mg/kg LWT) Ponies
80-100gm (160-200mg/kg LWT) Dressage, Show and Sport Horses, Yearling Prep
160gm (320mg/kg LWT) Racehorses, Eventers and Endurance horses in training, also horses in light condition
Adjust the dose to suit the horse as his condition or work level changes.
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