nutrition-of-the-injured-horse

Tiredness, fatigability, muscle cramps and reluctance to move are all manifestations that you will have noticed in your horse, at least once, after a training session or competition. The aim of feeding athlete horses is to replenish glycogen levels (the storage form of glucose, important for energy) and to prevent fatigue.

How is feed converted into energy?

Horses derive most of the energy they need to work from glucose (found mainly in carbohydrates) and amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Once digested, the body can transform glucose and amino acids into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to be used as energy.

This process of turning food into 'fuel' occurs in two ways:

• 1) Aerobic metabolism: the use of oxygen to break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins into glucose.

Endurance horses rely almost exclusively on aerobic energy synthesis to consistently run 60 km or more.

• 2) Anaerobic metabolism: using glucose in the absence of oxygen, a relatively faster process.

Quarter Horses doing barrel racing, for example, use this type of metabolism.

How lactic acid formation occurs in the horse

All disciplines use both metabolisms in different proportions, depending on the intensity and duration of the work. Anaerobic metabolism has the advantage of providing energy quickly and at much higher values than oxidative processes, but at the expense of this it is quickly depleted and leads to the production of metabolites and by-products. The horse accumulates lactic acid during training and competition, which is responsible for fatigue.

How to counter lactic acid formation in horses

Fitness plays a fundamental role in the oxidative capacity of muscles. The longer the horse's muscles can work with aerobic metabolism, the less heat and metabolites such as lactic acid are produced. Regular exercise stimulates changes in the body that facilitate the supply of oxygen to muscle cells and change the structure of muscle fibres so that they are better able to cope with the demands placed on them.

Muscle exercise increases both tissue oxygen demand and cellular respiration and causes an overproduction of free radicals. When free radical production exceeds the antioxidant capacity of the cell, tissue damage develops due to oxidative stress. Controlled training and complementary muscle-supporting feeds can help reduce free radical damage. Evit Liquid is a complementary feed containing Vitamin E and Selenium to support muscles. Vitamin E deficiency is in fact always associated with Selenium deficiency.

Also counteracting lactic acid formation is a good warm-up. This allows muscle tissue to access energy reserves, increases the temperature of soft tissue to promote tendon and ligament elasticity, and improves aerobic metabolism, delaying fatigue.

Counteracting lactic acid build-up in the horse after competition

After competition, a proper cool-down must begin. Do not stop the horse immediately, but proceed at a leisurely pace; slow movement increases the amount of heat and lactic acid that is eliminated from the muscles compared to standing still. This not only facilitates rapid cardiovascular recovery, but also helps minimise muscle soreness in the following days

Complementary feed to promote lactic acid elimination in horses

Equiplanet, which has always been attentive to the problems associated with lactic acid build-up, has several complementary feeds in its product range that promote the elimination of lactic acid.

• Mascle Racing New is a complementary powdered feed for horses that contains additives such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Selenium, which, working in synergy, help protect the horse's muscles from free radicals and lactic acid, thus enabling the horse to reach its full athletic potential. Muscle Racing New also contains Glycine, Betaine and L-Carnitine to improve muscle activity.
• - Lacta Aid is a complementary feed paste for horses whose components act synergistically and support metabolic processes to contain lactic acid and reduce free radicals. Useful in the sports horse under intense activity. Contains Betaine to promote osmotic cell stability, Citric Acid and Sodium Diacetate acting as buffers. Vitamin B1 and Lipoic Acid act in synergy by promoting the synthesis of Acetyl CoA, thus providing a boost to aerobic metabolism.
• - No Acid is a liquid complementary feed for horses, based on substances with a buffering effect to aid energy recovery of cells stressed by lactic acid accumulation following intense physical exertion. In particular, Betaine (25,000 mg) stabilises cell membranes in the presence of pericellular osmotic changes.

Water and electrolytes to counter lactic acid

All horses need water to maintain their efficient metabolism. The time of water intake after exercise depends on the effort and speed at which the horse has been working. An endurance horse working in aerobiosis, for example, can drink whenever it wishes. A horse that performs anaerobic exercise such as a galloping or jumping horse must cool down sufficiently before it can drink for long periods. Water should be offered to these horses, but gradually.

During competition or intense training, the use of electrolytes administered twice daily in addition to feed is recommended. One study estimated that the endurance horse running 80-160 km needs electrolyte supplementation every 30 km depending on temperature and weather conditions.

Forage or grain after training?

Once the horse working in anaerobiosis has cooled down, hay can be given, while cereals must be given several hours later to ensure that blood flow is redirected from the muscles to the intestinal tract.

Transport worries

When on the trailer, horses constantly use their muscles for balance. For this reason, it is ideal to arrive a few days before a competition, if possible, to give the horse time to recover. After the event, wait until he is fresh and rested before loading him up and going home. Not everyone has this luxury due to logistics, so be aware of how transport stress - in both directions - can affect the horse.

In conclusion, good training, proper nutrition and the use of complementary feeds that promote the metabolisation of lactic acid enable the horse to sustain the desired performance. For more information write to info@equiplanet.it

Bibliography

• Fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base responses to exercise in racehorses. Hyyppä S, Pösö AR. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract. 1998
• The oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium in horses. N Kirschvink, The Veterinary Journal 177 (2008) 178–191
• The effect of oxidative stress during exercise in the horse. C A Williams, 2016
• Alpha-Lipoic acid supplementation enhances heat shock protein production and decreases post exercise lactic acid concentrations in exercised standardbred trotters. Kinnunen S, 2009
• https://ker.com/equinews/feeding-performance-horses/?highlight=lactic%20acid