Effect of diet on weight and plasma variables in endurance exercised horses

Danielsen, Kristin; Lawrence, L.M.; Siciliano, P.D.; Powell, Debbie; Thompson, Kent N.

doi:10.1111/j.2042-3306.1995.tb04955.x

Cited by 22 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…This could be beneficial for the prerace fluid balance of the horse. These findings also agree with TPP measured during exercise that showed higher TPP during exercise in horses fed a ∼50/50 hay/grain diet compared to horses fed a diet that contained more hay (Danielsen et al . 1995).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Effects of feed deprivation on Standardbred horses fed a forage‐only diet and a 50:50 forage‐oats diet

Connysson

Essén‐Gustavsson

Lindberg

et al. 2010

Equine Veterinary Journal

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SummaryReasons for performing study: A higher forage allowance to athletic horses might be an alternative to increase health and the gut fluid reservoir. However, more forage might increase bodyweight (bwt) and could therefore be a limitation during competition. Objectives: To investigate the effect of a forage-only diet (FD) compared to a 50:50 (dry matter basis) forage:oats diet (OD) on bwt, plasma protein concentration and some metabolic plasma parameters during 12 h of feed deprivation. Methods: Twelve adult Standardbred horses in training were used. The 2 diets were fed in 2 experimental periods of 3 weeks each in a crossover design. The last day of each period the horses were fasted for 12 h. The horses were weighed and their water intake measured every day during the trial and every hour during the 12 h feed deprivation. During feed deprivation total plasma protein (TPP), insulin, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea, glucose and acetate concentrations were analysed. Results: Bwt and water intake was higher on FD compared to OD. Bwt loss was higher during feed deprivation on FD compared to OD. TPP was lower before and during the last 8 h of feed deprivation on FD compared to OD. Plasma insulin was lower on FD than on OD at feeding and for 5 h during feed deprivation. Plasma NEFA and urea increased on both diets during feed deprivation. Plasma glucose was not affected by diet or feed deprivation. Conclusion: High energy forage diets could be an alternative to high grain diets for athletic horses. The small increase in bwt on FD diminished with feed deprivation and the low TPP concentration indicate a greater potential to use an internal fluid compartment to maintain plasma volume.evj_174 335..340

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Effects of feed deprivation on Standardbred horses fed a forage‐only diet and a 50:50 forage‐oats diet

Connysson

Essén‐Gustavsson

Lindberg

et al. 2010

Equine Veterinary Journal

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“…The change in TPP with altered fibre intake could therefore reflect changes in the equilibrium between the gut and the extracellular fluid. It has been shown that increased forage intake lowers TPP (Danielsen et al, 1995) and also that signs of dehydration (increased TPP) following feed deprivation are delayed in horses on a forage-only diet compared with those on a mixed diet . However, BW recovery was similar on both diets in the present study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A forage-only diet alters the metabolic response of horses in training

Jansson

Lindberg

2012

Animal

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Most athletic horses are fed a high-starch diet despite the risk of health problems. Replacing starch concentrate with high-energy forage would alleviate these health problems, but could result in a shift in major substrates for muscle energy supply from glucose to short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) due to more hindgut fermentation of fibre. Dietary fat inclusion has previously been shown to promote aerobic energy supply during exercise, but the contribution of SCFA to exercise metabolism has received little attention. This study compared metabolic response with exercise and lactate threshold (V La4 ) in horses fed a forage-only diet (F) and a more traditional high-starch, low-energy forage diet (forage-concentrate diet -FC). The hypothesis was that diet F would increase plasma acetate concentration and increase V La4 compared with diet FC. Six Standardbred geldings in race training were used in a 29-day change-over experiment. Plasma acetate, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), lactate, glucose and insulin concentrations and venous pH were measured in samples collected before, during and after a treadmill exercise test (ET, day 25) and muscle glycogen concentrations before and after ET. Plasma acetate concentration was higher before and after exercise in horses on diet F compared with diet FC, and there was a tendency ( P 5 0.09) for increased V La4 on diet F. Venous pH and plasma glucose concentrations during exercise were higher in horses on diet F than diet FC, as was plasma NEFA on the day after ET. Plasma insulin and muscle glycogen concentrations were lower for diet F, but glycogen utilisation was similar for the two diets. The results show that a high-energy, forage-only diet alters the metabolic response to exercise and, with the exception of lowered glycogen stores, appears to have positive rather than negative effects on performance traits.

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“…Similar effects have also been noted in cattle (Ramazin et al 1994). While these effects have not been studied in horses, it has been found that increasing hay intake causes corresponding increases in water intake (Meyer 1987;Danielsen et al 1995). In turn, this may lead to increased water in the gastrointestinal tract of horses with a concomitant increase in bwt.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of forage intake on bodyweight and performance

Ellis

Hollands²,

Allen

2002

Equine Veterinary Journal

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The horse evolved to survive on rations high in forage. Many performance horses are fed rations containing reduced levels of forage, with a corresponding increase in concentrate supply. Such reductions in forage intake are widely established to be associated with a corresponding number of physiological and psychological adaptations. Therefore, the influence of forage intake on bodyweight (bwt) and performance was investigated. Four Thoroughbred-type geldings in light to moderate work received 4 diets (100% forage [100H]; 80% forage:20% concentrate [80H]; 60% forage:40% concentrate [60H] and 50% forage:50% concentrate [50H]) in a 4 x 4 Latin-square design. A submaximal standardised exercise test (SET) was performed for each diet. Rate of passage, bwt and water intakes were measured throughout the trial and maximum, recovery heart rates and postexercise rectal temperatures recorded for each SET. Mean +/- s.e. bwt was significantly (P<0.001) higher for the 100H compared to the 50H ration (556.89 and 546.28 kg, respectively). Rate of passage of digesta was significantly (P<0.01) slower for the 100H compared to the 50H ration. Water intakes and SET maximum and 1 min recovery heart rates were significantly (P<0.05) higher (mean +/- s.e. 44.72 and 39.07 l/day, 186 and 165 beats/min, and 105 and 96 beats/min, respectively) for 100H compared to the 50H diet. Post-SET rectal temperatures tended to increase with increasing forage intakes, although these effects were not significant (mean 39.85 and 38.65 degrees C for the 100H and 50H diets, respectively). In conclusion, forage intake has significant effects on equine bwt and submaximal performance and a compromise needs to be made between the potential detrimental effects of high forage intake on performance and the potential detrimental effects of low forage intake on equine welfare.

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Effect of diet on weight and plasma variables in endurance exercised horses

Cited by 22 publications

References 10 publications

Effects of feed deprivation on Standardbred horses fed a forage‐only diet and a 50:50 forage‐oats diet

Effects of feed deprivation on Standardbred horses fed a forage‐only diet and a 50:50 forage‐oats diet

A forage-only diet alters the metabolic response of horses in training

Effect of forage intake on bodyweight and performance

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