polysaccharide exertional myopathy... what are your thoughts

[Tucumcari]

If you were to change a horse's diet from a high carb to a low carb diet substituting the fat, for the carbs, as an energy source CAN a horse successfully compete at a high level of exertion ie. of course racing...?

[Bogataj]

Try to get:

Equine supplements & Nutraceuticals

by Eleanor M. Kellon, v.m.d.

(you can order the book at www.horseinfo.com)

and decide by yourself.

Borut

[vaponydoc]

This can be a tough condition to manage -- I know one horse who was fairly severly affected and his diet is managed very closely -- he gets tons of oil with his beet pulp and the owner has tried some commercially available feeds as well. If he is not eating the special diet well, he starts showing symptoms again. The owner events him and keeps him very fit, but with a tremendous amount of care.

[louis finochio]

When a TB is in training and racing they need carbs to replace the energy and calories they are burning up.

When the TB are not in training or racing they can get by on a low carb diet.

[Tucumcari]

Actually, Louis there is some research that indicates that as horses are realily able to digest and are able to use fats very effectively as an energy source as a replacement for carbs. So my question was really asking people with experience with or REAL knowledge of this condition. But thanks for your 2 cents.

[erins isle]

Hi,
Does Carb mean Carbonicum?? I ever have these difficulties with you Americans with the short names!!!(abbreviations)
Respectfully

[WarHorse]

Carb = carbohydrates.

[rds]

Muscles store Glycogin for their primary energy source. Carbohydrates are fairly quickly converted for energy, and fats are converted in a secondary process when carbs aren't as readily available. The processs of using fats for energy takes longer to initiate, and proceeds slower.

So - to answer the question, which is mostly my opinion, I am doubtful that a low carb diet would work for racing unless we are talking very short distances, where all that counts are the current glycogin stores.

Very long endurace events may be OK as long as the exertion rate balances the conversion of fat to glycogin.

I do think that a higher fat diet with carbs could help race horse performance. The fat helps modulate the energy release I think so could help in longer races...

My opinion is based on human performance which as a runner I am familiar with. Fact is the horse is more similar than different in a lot of ways, so I believe most of the research on humans will hold true for horses.

[surprisewind]

Check out the KERR website - I believe they have some information about performance horses and high fat diets. And yes, Louis, a horse can metabolize fats and function quite nicely. Some of the research I have seen does indicate there is a short adjustment period, though.

[Tucumcari]

rds, that seems to be the way research points, so I am with you on that!
BUT in the case of a horse that ties up daily do you think that even with effective management a horse prone to a carb intolerance can in fact run to it's potential?

[rds]

Tucumcari, so much depends on the individual horse. But, running to it's "potential", I think not. Max potential will require carbs to supply energy fast enough. A while back I was partners in a filly who tied up every time she was close to working. Couldn't get a work at all. I finally got frustrated and told the trainer to sell her. Later I saw the same filly in the Barretts sale as a broodmare. She had somehow won 3 races...

Maybe age helped. I never looked into it farther for her.

The body adapts due to the stresses a given role puts on it. Given time with a high fat/low carb diet I think the horse performance would improve, but I don't think it would approach the potential from a carb diet.

Frankly, it's not a project I would recommend. Would be better to find a career for the horse where a high carb diet is not required.