How can nutritional strategies help address muscle wasting in older animals?

Muscle wasting in older animals, often referred to as cachexia, is a common issue that can significantly impact their health and quality of life. Nutritional strategies aimed at addressing this issue focus on the provision of adequate nutrients essential for maintaining muscle mass and overall vitality.

Increasing protein and energy intake is particularly effective for several reasons. Protein is crucial for muscle synthesis; as animals age, their protein requirements often increase due to decreased efficiency in utilizing proteins for muscle preservation. Adequate protein intake helps in maintaining and repairing muscle tissue, which is essential for combating muscle loss.

Moreover, energy intake becomes important because older animals may have higher energy requirements relative to their body weight due to a slower metabolism. Providing sufficient energy helps to prevent the body from breaking down muscle tissue to meet metabolic demands, instead allowing it to utilize nutrients for maintenance and growth.

Together, an increase in both protein and energy supports not just the preservation of existing muscle mass, but can also facilitate muscle growth, which is vital in addressing muscle wasting effectively. Thus, focusing on enhancing the nutritional profile of an older animal's diet with a specific emphasis on protein and energy is a well-recognized strategy in veterinary nutrition for promoting better health outcomes in aging livestock.