Ingredient Deep Dive- LYSINE

TRAINING MODULE: Ingredient Deep Dive — LYSINE

Formula 1 Equine Education Portal

 

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Module Overview

Lysine is the anchor ingredient of the Formula 1 Equine tiered supplement system.
In this module, reps will learn:
✓ What lysine is
✓ Why it is essential in equine diets
✓ How it supports muscle, joints, gut, and immune function
✓ Why performance, senior, and recovering horses need higher levels
✓ How feed processing destroys lysine (and why supplementation is critical)

 

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SECTION 1 — What Lysine Is

 

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Essential Amino Acid

• Horses cannot synthesize lysine; it must be supplied through the diet.
  
  

• It is the first limiting amino acid in most equine nutritional profiles.
  
  

• Without adequate lysine, other amino acids cannot be used effectively, even if total protein appears sufficient.

Key Identity Points

Lysine is central to:
• Muscle development
• Collagen formation
• Immune defense
• Mineral absorption
• Metabolic and enzymatic function

 

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SECTION 2 — Why Lysine Matters in Your Formula

 

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1. Protein Synthesis & Muscle Development

• Acts as the trigger for muscle protein synthesis—especially in high-stress or high-workload horses.
  
  

• Enables other amino acids to be utilized (“build mode” is only activated when lysine is adequate).
  
  

 

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2. Joint & Connective Tissue Repair

• Required for collagen cross-linking (Types I & III).
  
  

• Works synergistically with Vitamin C and Methionine (both included in your formulas).
  
  

• Supports healing of tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and joint capsules.
  
  

• Horses with optimal lysine intake show improved soft tissue recovery and joint mobility.
  
  

 

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3. Immune System Support

• Supports lymphocyte production and immune signaling.
  
  

• Helps defend against viral stress by competing with arginine at replication sites.
  
  

• Essential for stressed, traveling, or recovering horses.
  
  

 

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4. Nutrient Absorption Synergy

Lysine enhances the absorption and utilization of:
• Calcium
• Zinc
• Other amino acids
• Nutrient partners such as noni, glucosamine, and beta-glucans

This makes lysine a bioavailability amplifier for the whole formula.

 

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SECTION 3 — Why Tier 1 Uses 28g of Lysine

 

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Your Target Horse:

High-performance, stressed, or nutritionally compromised animals.

Why 28g Is the “Therapeutic Range”:

• NRC research: 27–29g/day recommended for a 500 kg horse in moderate–intense work.
  
  

• Supports high muscle turnover, tissue repair, and immune demand.
  
  

• Lower tiers (25g / 20g / 15g) still provide strong support, but 28g places Tier 1 as a performance + recovery formula, not just maintenance.
  
  

 

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SECTION 4 — Research Highlights

 

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• Many horses consuming cereal grains or alfalfa-light diets fall short on lysine even when total protein appears adequate.
  
  

• Lysine upregulates collagen expression and improves matrix repair—especially when combined with Vitamin C, MSM, and HA.
  
  

 

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SECTION 5 — Lysine Requirements for Humans (Reference)

 

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(Included as a reference guide for Reps)

General Adults: ~2.6 g/day

Athletes: 3–5 g/day (up to 10g in some blends)

Older Adults: 3–4 g/day for muscle maintenance and bone health

 

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SECTION 6 — Lysine Requirements for Horses

 

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Your Tier 1 (28g) aligns perfectly with:
✓ Intense work
✓ Seniors
✓ Recovering or immune-compromised horses
✓ Late pregnancy / lactation
✓ Stallions needing high amino output

 

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SECTION 7 — Why Lysine Is the Tier Anchor

 

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Lysine determines how well all other amino acids perform.

Your tier system is built around these ideal ranges:

The tiered lysine strategy is one of the strongest differentiators of your formula line.

 

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SECTION 8 — Synergistic Pairings You Built Into the Formula

 

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• Methionine → provides sulfur for connective tissue, hair, hoof structure
  
  

• Threonine → supports gut lining integrity + immune balance
  
  

• Noni → improves absorption, immune modulation, and antioxidant protection
  
  

• Magnesium & Manganese → muscular, neurological, and joint matrix support
  
  

Lysine acts as the ignition switch for this entire ingredient stack.

 

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SECTION 9 — Why Lysine Depletes So Easily

 

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Lysine is fragile and readily degraded by:

1. Heat Damage (Most Common)

Pelleting, steam-flaking, extruding, cubing, dehydrating hay.

• Up to 40–60% of lysine can be lost or bound (unusable).
  
  

• This occurs due to the Maillard reaction, where lysine binds to sugars.
  
  

2. Storage Time + Light/Oxygen Exposure

• Hay stored over 6 months: 25–50% loss
  
  

• Sun-bleached hay = oxidized amino acids
  
  

• Humidity accelerates lysine degradation
  
  

3. Microbial Fermentation (Silage/Haylage)

• Wet or fermented feeds: up to 30% lower lysine
  
  

4. Natural Deficiency in Common Feeds

Most horses only consume 10–12g/day of lysine naturally—far below the 20–30g needed for performance or recovery.

 

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SECTION 10 — Estimated Lysine Loss Chart

 

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SECTION 11 — Implications for Formulation

 

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Because lysine degrades so readily, what matters is daily intake of active, bioavailable lysine, not just protein percentage on a feed tag.

This is why your formulas:
✓ Lead with lysine
✓ Provide 20–30g of true usable lysine
✓ Use free-form or protected lysine instead of relying on crude protein

 

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End of Module Summary

After completing this module, reps should understand:
✓ Why lysine is essential for performance, recovery, and senior horses
✓ Why it is the anchor of the Formula 1 tier system
✓ How it supports muscle, collagen, joints, gut, and immunity
✓ Why many horses are deficient despite “good diets”
✓ How processing destroys lysine—and why supplementation is critical