Metabolic adaptation to a fat-supplemented diet for horses.
Previous work has suggested that the inclusion of fat in the equine diet may have beneficial effects on exercise performance, either through direct substrate effects or through some other indirect mechanism as yet unidentified.
Seven thoroughbred horses weighing were all trained for a period of 10 weeks. During the last 7 weeks of the training period, all horses were fed on a low-fat pelleted control diet. After the baseline period, the horses were randomly divided into a control group and a fat-supplemented group. Horses in group C (control group) were fed on the same diet throughout the study. Horses in group F (fat diet group) were fed on a pelleted fat-supplemented diet for a period of 10 weeks, designated the treatment period.
Results on body weigth where (with the exception of one horse), that there was no significant effect of diet on body weight during the treatment period. Horses in group C, however, showed a small but significant increase in body weight by the 4th week.
In summary, fat supplementation has been shown to be associated with improved metabolic management of the fat load as illustrated by a decrease in the resting plasma triacylglycerol concentration. An increase in total cholesterol concentration, which remained within the normal range at all times, also occurred as a result of fat supplementation. Additionally fat supplementation may have resulted in an increase in muscle oxidative capacity as indicated by an increase in muscle CS and possibly P-HAD activity in the horses in dietary group F.
> From: Orme et al., Br J Nutr. 78 (2017) 443-58. All rights reserved to Nutrition society. Click here for the online summary.