Valine is an essential amino acid in the diet of horses and one of the branch chain amino acids. There are three branch chain amino acids, leucine and isoleucine are the other two.
Valine is required for correct nitrogen utilisation in the body. It is very important for muscle coordination, neural and mental function.
Its role with muscle health and the fact that it anti-inflammatory mean it is useful to use branch chain amino acid supplementation with horses after hard exercise.
Valine is the most abundant essential amino acid available in various feed sources. The richest source is good quality forage grown on land which has health soil where the major minerals have been balanced to create a healthy environment for organisms. It can be found at good levels in cereals too.
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