Mobility

Pet Mobility Benefits of Astaxanthin

• Provides antioxidant support
• Supports a healthy inflammation response
• Promotes healthy mucosal immunity
• May provide support for friendly gut bacteria

Understanding Pet Mobility

Older dogs tend to have reduced antioxidant capacity and higher levels of oxidative stress as the efficiency of their body’s own antioxidant machinery declines with age. Energy producing mitochondria also become less effective with age, affecting muscle performance and recovery. Finally, blood flow to the muscle starts to decline, making it hard to keep up with nutrient and oxygen demands of working muscles. Added together, these factors contribute to a progressive age-related loss in muscle mass called sarcopenia.

For those dogs who are highly active or working dogs, consistent training can lead to muscle fatigue, soreness, and exercise-induced inflammation that triggers oxidative stress. To keep a dog fit and healthy, the right nutrition, exercise regimen, and nutritional supplements are important for supporting growth and well-being.

Astaxanthin to the Rescue

Astaxanthin is found in muscle tissue and in the energy-producing mitochondria of dogs – the powerhouses of the cell. Muscles depend on mitochondria for their energy needs, but mitochondria also produce free radical byproducts that need to be kept in check. 

For active dogs who experience more oxidative stress, dietary antioxidants can help supplement the body’s own antioxidant machinery to support vitality and recovery. 

Staying active can help aging dogs maintain muscle mass, but studies have shown that combining exercise with astaxanthin supplementations can boost the positive effects of exercise on muscle health and function. Astaxanthin also supports blood flow and a healthy blood lipid profile, which helps bring nutrients and oxygen to muscles and supports their function and recovery from exercise. Sedentary dogs who are overweight are subject to higher levels of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Studies have shown that astaxanthin helps dogs reduce markers of systemic inflammation, lower oxidative stress markers, and maintain health blood lipid profiles.¹ 

Study Highlight

A study of 24 adult Huskey-Pointer crossbred dogs looked at the effect of astaxanthin as a recovery supplement following 3 consecutive days of 25-40 min/day running exercise. Recovery was measured by how quickly blood glucose levels returned to pre-exercise levels. When dogs were given a carbohydrate and protein rich treat after exercise, they recovered within 30 minutes. When astaxanthin was added to the treat, dogs recovered immediately after exercise with now lag time.² 

AstaReal® Astaxanthin Promoted ATP production and vitality in young and geriatric beagles, increasing their energy production by 12-14%. In the older beagles mitochondrial protein increased by 570 – 600% after 8 weeks of supplementation, suggesting that astaxanthin helps maintain healthy mitochondria that are so important for muscle health and mobility.³ 

Products

PupFlex

ArthriMAXX Doggy Supplement

Medical Muscle Horse Performance Supplement

Vetri Science Golden Years

Feline Renew

Bully Max

NWC Naturals Tri-Krill for Pets Pump

NWC Naturals Tri-Krill for Pets

Asta Zan 14 K9

What’s Next

The Dog Aging Project helps increase our understanding of canine aging and ways to help companion animals age well. A 2022 study found a correlation between physical activity in aging dogs and reduced severity of canine cognitive dysfunction. Other studies have shown that exercise supports cognitive health. A study in exercising mice showed that the effect of exercise on memory and learning was improved when exercise was combined with astaxanthin supplementation.⁴ The connection between mobility, nutrition, and brain health is an exciting area of future research.