How does the average person replace protein and nutrients after a hard workout? Many people try consuming supplemental bars, shakes, protein powders or vitamin supplements. As part of a wholesome diet, these products may help the body stock up on the proteins needed to maintain good muscular health.

The same cannot be said of harness-racing horses, whose physical activity is especially intense but whose diets do not include vitamin supplements. Or at least, it couldn’t be said until recently. A new study published in the Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition announced that racehorses may benefit from taking specially designed dietary supplements.

Researchers from Vienna’s Institute of Animal Nutrition at the University of Veterinary Medicine came to this conclusion after testing a number of cellular protein pathways in horses. Essentially, the team determined that horses’ muscles burn large amounts of protein during intense races.

The authors noted that, as with humans, consuming a protein-based vitamin supplement might help these animals recover from vigorous physical activity.

Multivitamins can also replace critical minerals and nutrients that the human body uses up over the course of any given day.