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Adaptation of Thoroughbred horses in training to a fat supplemented diet
Author(s) -
HUGHES S. J.,
POTTER G. D.,
GREENE L. W.,
ODOM T. W.,
MURRAYGERZIK M.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1995.tb04950.x
Subject(s) - glycogen , horse , zoology , digestion (alchemy) , crossover study , biology , medicine , endocrinology , chemistry , placebo , paleontology , alternative medicine , chromatography , pathology
Summary Eight Thoroughbred horses were used in a repeated measures, crossover experiment in which horses were fed a fat supplemented and control diet. On Days 0, 7,14, 21 and 28, horses performed a standardised exercise test (SET) consisting of three 400 m sprints. Digestion trials were performed over 3 days prior to each SET and muscle biopsies were taken pre‐ and post SET. Feeding fat had no negative effect (P>0.05) on digestion of any diet constituent and digestive adaptation to the fat supplemented diet apparently occurred within 1 week. Pre‐exercise muscle glycogen concentrations increased up to Day 14 on both diet treatments. However, when horses were fed the fat supplemented diet pre‐SET muscle glycogen concentration increased until Day 21 (P<0.05) at which time it was higher (P<0.05) than when the horses were fed the control diet. This difference was also present at Day 28. Post SET muscle glycogen concentrations were similar (P>0.05) between treatments on all sampling days. In fat supplemented horses, muscle glycogen utilisation during the SET was increased on both treatments to Day 14 (P<0.05) and increased further to Day 21 when the horses were fed the fat supplemented diet. On Days 21 and 28, glycogen utilisation during the SET was greater (P<0.05) when horses were fed the fat supplemented diet than when fed the control diet.