Recovery Powder

[Mosby]

I find dog food discussions to be interesting but little is definitive. It is clear that high protein/high fat diets are important for hunting dogs and hunting dogs need to replace calories they burn to maintain weight. Where people differ is how to get there and eventually they turn to discussions on nutrients vs calories, volume vs weight(a cup of one isn't a cup of another) and corn vs grain free. I'm not smart enough to know the nutritional difference between 2 different brands of 30/20 dog food or if one is more complete or better than another or if more of one equals less of another. I think dogs can do well enough for the average guy on most of them. The #1 all time Vizsla field trial dog lived and ran on Pro Plan. Would he have been better on something else? I have no idea. I know even less when it comes to supplements.

 

[wingsnfins]

I can't feed the high protein/fat foods to my dog. His gastrointestinal system didn't do well.....I tried. He is on a food that works for his system. So I use a fiber supplement, a glucosamine supplement, a fish oil supplement and a muscle supplement, which have been studied and are proven effective in benefiting a dog's systems. He is a stubborn water drinker in the field when hunting and hiking, to the point he would run himself to dehydration. The food does nothing for hydration, so I use a additive to his water before, during and after these activities to encourage hydration. It also is high in protein to supplement what he needs during these activities that he isn't getting from his food.
It works very well for this dog, he is extremely well cared for and healthy. He recovers quickly and maintains stamina during these activities. He gets comprehensive annual exams and I trust my vet, who does not sell or have stake in any of the products my dog uses, but has taken the time to research and give his medical opinion for the well being of this dog.

 

[westksbowhunter]

I can't feed the high protein/fat foods to my dog. His gastrointestinal system didn't do well.....I tried. He is on a food that works for his system. So I use a fiber supplement, a glucosamine supplement, a fish oil supplement and a muscle supplement, which have been studied and are proven effective in benefiting a dog's systems. He is a stubborn water drinker in the field when hunting and hiking, to the point he would run himself to dehydration. The food does nothing for hydration, so I use a additive to his water before, during and after these activities to encourage hydration. It also is high in protein to supplement what he needs during these activities that he isn't getting from his food.
It works very well for this dog, he is extremely well cared for and healthy. He recovers quickly and maintains stamina during these activities. He gets comprehensive annual exams and I trust my vet, who does not sell or have stake in any of the products my dog uses, but has taken the time to research and give his medical opinion for the well being of this dog.

I would be interested in reading the studies.

 

[wingsnfins]

I would be interested in reading the

Glandex, Duralactin, and Ursolyx are the supplements, Nordic fish oil pills.
Kinetic Hydro30K is the water additive.

 

[LC Smith]

I would be interested in reading the studies.

Here are some details related to some of the ingredients in the recovery supplement and how they impact dogs. It is pretty cool to read the info.

This is a really cool topic. The more I dig the better it gets.

I dropped the ingredients list of the product I am using into an AI platform I use here at work. I asked it to research and analyze the ingredients and their impacts on canine recovery, etc. and if there is any formal research on the subject.


Based on the ingredients you listed in the picture (which appear to be L-Leucine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine, and Vitamins B1, B2, B6, and C), here is a summary of what published studies suggest for sporting dogs:

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs: L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine)​

• Role in Muscle: BCAAs are essential amino acids that are metabolized primarily in the muscle. Studies in sporting dogs suggest a benefit in maintaining muscle integrity and supporting energy metabolism.
  • One study on drug detection dogs receiving a supplement including BCAAs, carnitine, and vitamins showed lower concentrations of creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), which are markers for muscle damage, suggesting a reduction in muscle damage and an improvement in energy metabolism.
  • Another study noted that leucine, in particular, helps decrease exercise-induced protein breakdown (proteolysis) during muscle activity and stimulates skeletal muscle protein synthesis.
  • Research indicates that a nutrient-fortified diet resulted in greater plasma concentrations of branched-chain amino acids (isoleucine, leucine, and valine) in Foxhounds after exercise.
• Performance/Recovery: Supplementation including BCAAs has been linked to potential improvements in physical fitness and recovery markers.
  • The study on drug detection dogs also found that the supplemented group had accelerated heart rate (HR) recovery after exercise, indicating improved physical fitness.

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Vitamins (B1, B2, B6, C) & Other Antioxidants

• B-Vitamins: B-vitamins (like B1, B2, B6) are critical co-enzymes in energy metabolism (breaking down food into energy). While essential for high-performance dogs, their direct effect in a supplement for recovery (beyond ensuring a dog is not deficient) is often studied as part of a complex blend.
• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): This is a key antioxidant.
  • Antioxidant-rich diets, including those with vitamins, are often used to support muscle recovery and reduce oxidative stress in working dogs.
  • Some studies suggest antioxidant-rich or combined nutrient supplements can reduce blood markers of muscle damage and lead to faster heart rate recovery.
  • However, other studies involving sled dogs and racing Greyhounds have shown mixed results, with some reports that antioxidants like Vitamin C failed to consistently lower creatine kinase (a muscle damage marker) or may even have had detrimental effects on performance in some cases. This highlights the complexity of antioxidant use.
    

Conclusion on Research​

Overall, veterinary research supports the idea that amino acids (especially BCAAs) and vitamins/antioxidants play an important role in the metabolism and recovery of sporting dogs. Combined supplements that include these ingredients have been shown to:

• Decrease markers of muscle damage (CK, AST).
• Accelerate heart rate recovery.
• Result in higher circulating levels of essential amino acids post-exercise.

However, it's often the combination of ingredients (BCAAs, other proteins, vitamins, carnitine, etc.) and the timing of administration (post-exercise feeding) that are studied, making it difficult to isolate the exact benefit of any single ingredient on recovery.

Identified Studies​

Study Title	Key Ingredients/Focus	Direct Link to Full Text (or Abstract)
Acute changes in blood metabolites and amino acid profile post-exercise in Foxhound dogs fed a high endurance formula	Focuses on a nutrient-fortified diet (including Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Taurine) and their acute response after exercise.	ResearchGate Link
Evaluation of a performance enhancing supplement in American Foxhounds during eventing	Focuses on a proprietary blend including B-Vitamins (biotin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, cyanocobalamin), L-Carnitine, and Betaine.	PMC (NIH) Link
Benefits of dietary supplements on the physical fitness of German Shepherd dogs during a drug detection training course	Focuses on a supplement containing Branched-Chain and Limiting Amino Acids, Carnitine, and Vitamins, observing effects on muscle damage markers (CK, AST) and heart rate recovery.	PMC (NIH) Link
Effects of postexercise feeding of a supplemental carbohydrate and protein bar with or without astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis to exercise-conditioned dogs	Focuses on protein, rapidly digestible carbohydrates, and the antioxidant astaxanthin, noting post-exercise blood nutrient and BCAA concentrations.	AVMA Journals Link

 

[westksbowhunter]

Here is the conclusion of the supplement study on Foxhounds. The results of the present study are interesting; however, due to the study design they are not conclusive. Further work with this supplement in a larger group of dogs using a blinded crossover study design would be ideal to prove that the proprietary blend of nutrients improved performance and improved muscle cell permeability.

I believe feeding the best quality food available is the best medicine.

 

[LC Smith]

This feels like one of those things in its infancy that will need/get a lot more study in the future.

 

[westksbowhunter]

This feels like one of those things in its infancy that will need/get a lot more study in the future.

There has to be side effects to cramming multiple supplements down a dogs throat. I hope people aren't sorry a few years down the road. I don't really give my dogs snacks other than a bite of left over chicken or steak. None of that manufactured garbage.