Physio-Nutrition for Modern Pigs:  Understanding Energy Metabolism, Protein Kinetics of Absorption And Fiber Fermentation in Swine Feeding

In today’s swine industry, optimizing animal health and performance while maintaining sustainability and profitability is more important than ever. Understanding the physiological processes that drive efficiency and resilience in pigs is essential as producers face increasing pressures from rising feed costs, evolving regulations, and consumer demands for responsible farming.

To address these challenges, we have chosen to focus on three interconnected pillars of swine nutrition and health:

These pillars are not just academic—they are practical levers for productivity and animal welfare.

Efficient energy metabolism supports growth and feed conversion, but it can be compromised by gut inflammation, which silently drains resources and reduces performance.

Similarly, in post-weaning piglets, the timing and efficiency of protein absorption directly influence gut health, growth performance, feed efficiency and hindgut fermentation, making it crucial to align dietary strategies with the pig’s physiological needs.

Meanwhile, fiber fermentation, fueled by the gut microbiota, plays a pivotal role in nutrient utilization, immune modulation and disease resistance.

By exploring these areas, we aim to equip producers, nutritionists and veterinarians with actionable insights to support swine health, optimize feed strategies, improve production performance and drive sustainable production.

To support this initiative, we developed a series of dedicated videos that explore each topic—we encourage you to consult them and discover how science-driven nutrition can elevate your herd’s performance.

Energy metabolism and gut inflammation

Protein kinetics of absorption

Fiber fermentation and the role of the microbiota