We all know that elctrolytes can sometimes by a slightly controversial subject but here is an interesting article taken from the main EGB facebook page following a survey by Dr David Marlin of Science Supplements:- Thank you to all those who took part in the mini-survey instigated by Dr David Marlin on the use of Electrolytes. Here is his response: SURVEY OF USE OF ELECTROLYTES IN ENDURANCE TRAINING AND COMPETITION Thank you to all the riders who contributed to this survey. As with the previous one, this is not the sort of survey that we should use for making general conclusions. The numbers are too small and the method is not valid for a true survey. Almost everyone who responded said they use electrolytes in training and competition, but a large number said that they changed how and what was fed between training and competition e.g. salt during training and then electrolytes before during and after competition. Many people also mentioned adjusting what was fed according to travel, work and weather. As before, I’m not going to tell you what to do but simply talk about what we know from scientific studies. There is a general article on electrolytes which I have written here: sciencesupplements.co.uk/electrolytes Here are some simple bullet points about electrolytes as an introduction to more specific comments · Electrolytes are required for almost all bodily functions e.g. never function, digestion, muscle contraction · The major electrolytes are sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium · Electrolytes are necessary for urine production and so are lost on a daily basis in urine Electrolytes are also lost in faeces. If the horse is exercising then electrolytes are also lost in sweat (around 9g total of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium in each litre of sweat) · Hard feeds and forage do contain electrolytes but will not replace what a horse in work uses up each day · Horse diets in general are usually deficient in sodium · Four separate scientific studies have shown that horses DO NOT regulate their salt (NaCl), sodium chloride) intake to match their needs from free choice salt (i.e. blocks, licks) · Sodium is the most important electrolyte when it comes to regulation of thirst · Blood electrolyte levels are a very poor indicator of electrolyte status except in the case of very sick or very deficient horses. The body attempts to maintain “normal” blood levels even if the levels in tissues and organs are low. For example, blood calcium level may be normal because the horse is breaking down bone to maintain the blood levels. · Assessment of electrolyte status in endurance horses suggests that the majority are chronically depleted/imbalanced · Signs of Electrolyte Deficiency/Imbalance may take several months to develop, but can range from poor performance to thumps (SDF). The latter usually becomes apparent during competition. · Excess feeding of electrolytes will increase water intake and may also lead to gastric ulceration, worsening of ulcers if they are already present and hindgut disturbance (loose droppings to scouring) Some specific comments relevant to endurance and to some of the responses It is much better to feed a slight excess of electrolytes and to allow the horse to regulate to what it needs by excreting what is excess. This of course requires sufficient water to be available. If you feed too little the horse can try to conserve electrolytes, but only for so long. Eventually an imbalance will occur or the “normal” levels will not be able to be maintained. If you feed a source of calcium in training, it is essential that you also make sure your horse has plenty of calcium when it comes to competition. When you horse has a high intake of calcium (either from supplements or from feeds such as alfalfa), this reduces the body’s ability to regulate calcium effectively. If you suddenly stop or reduce the intake of calcium (e.g. because the horse eats less or is fed differently at a ride) and at the same time increase the usage of calcium (i.e. sweating in competition) then there is a serious and high risk of metabolic disturbance, commonly manifested as thumps (SDF). Thumps (SDF) is not a serious or life-threatening condition in itself, but is an indication that there is marked electrolyte imbalance/depletion. If your horse has developed thumps at a competition, you may be able to reduce the chance of this re-occurring by improving your electrolyte management. Deficiencies and imbalances in body stores of electrolytes can take weeks or even months to occur and also take weeks or months to correct. What a horse needs in terms of electrolytes will be determined by a combination of diet, work, breed, fitness, weather and also factors peculiar to your individual horse’s metabolism. For example, some horses absorb individual electrolytes better than others. Supplementing only around the time of competition or changing how you supplement around the time of competition would probably be considered undesirable for a variety of reasons. The first issue would be a negative effect on palatability. Secondly, you are highly unlikely to have a much impact on whole body electrolyte status by starting feeding electrolytes or feeding extra electrolytes around the time of or during competition. There is also the risk that a sudden increase or change in electrolyte supplementation around the time of a ride could cause disturbance to the hindgut; the last thing you want. A good strategy for feeding electrolytes would be to feed the same amount every day and allow the horse to work out what it needs and allow it to excrete what it doesn’t. Alternatively, you can do a full diet assessment and then ask your vet to collect paired blood and urine samples and you can then tailor your electrolyte management for each individual horse. You will probably need to repeat this over 2-3 months. Should you give electrolytes to a horse that is not drinking? I think I posted a detailed response to this previously on here, but the short answer is yes, based on the physiology of the thirst mechanism. CONCLUSION My approach to electrolyte management with endurance horses is to feed what I believe to be a slight excess on a daily basis and not to change when it comes to competition. There may be a few exceptions to this but they would be very rare. If your horse sweats well, drinks well and performs well under all conditions then you probably have your electrolyte management adequate. But remember, it’s hard to assess electrolyte status and even if you are feeding 5% too little each day, over several months this could lead to a significant deficit and the initial manifestation of this may only be a slight decrease in performance, which again, may not be obvious. I’m sure there are some things I have forgotten to cover and I would be happy to try and clarify anything from my comments. Thank you all again for taking part. David Electrolytes - Science Supplements sciencesupplements.co.uk Almost all horses need a small amount of salt on a daily basis & horses in more than light work require supplemental electrolytes.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 11:55:10 +0000
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