Technical Issues Electrolyte & B group vitamin replacers
Sweating and Electrolyte Loss in Horses: |
Electrolytes are simply minerals that are dissolved in body fluid (blood
and cell fluids). They are vital to a wide range of normal body
functions, including the regulation of all body fluid levels, nerve
impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and many essential metabolic
processes such as pumping of the heart, movement of food and water
through the gut, and the filtering of wastes through the kidney and
liver. The proper balance of water and electrolytes is essential for
cooling the horse, and is absolutely essential for normal muscle
function. Body fluid balance is finely controlled by electrolytes, which
manage the movement of water into and out of cells.
When a horse works, it sweats. This is the horse’s natural method of
cooling down. (Only horses and humans sweat profusely to cool the body
down). The cooling effect of sweating is significantly reduced in humid
conditions, as evaporation from the skin is very inefficient in high
humidity.
A horse sweats even more when it is not fully fit or conditioned, in hot
or humid weather, or when it is nervous, excited or agitated. In hot,
humid conditions a horse can lose up to 15 litres
of sweat in one hour. A horse can only sweat efficiently if it is not
dehydrated.
The type and duration of exercise will also determine the degree of
sweating. Working thoroughbreds can commonly lose 4-7kg in bodyweight
during a fast work period, and standardbreds (trotters & pacers) can
commonly lose up to 15kg bodyweight over a 1,600 metre race. Endurance
events result in often huge fluid loss, where an 80km endurance ride in
hot humid conditions may result in bodyweight loss of up to 30-50kg in
some horses.
Electrolytes are lost in the sweat. Excessive sweat losses can cause an
electrolyte imbalance, which rapidly leads to premature muscle fatigue,
reduced stamina, muscle cramps and poor post exercise recovery, if not
corrected. Horses lose about 3 times more sodium and up to 10 times more
potassium in sweat than humans, so the composition of sweat in horses
contains much more electrolytes than in humans.
Any athlete will tell you how tired they feel, and how their performance
drops rapidly, during and after prolonged sweating. This is partly
because the potassium loss decreases muscle strength, tone, and ability
to contract.
The electrolytes lost every day in work include sodium, potassium,
magnesium, calcium, chlorides, sulphates, phosphates and bicarbonates.
These electrolytes are lost in sweat, urine and faeces.
Sodium and chloride are the two major electrolytes lost in sweat. These
are easily supplemented by giving normal salt (sodium chloride) at about
30-60g daily in feed, but normal salt does not replace the other
essential electrolytes, nor will it help buffer the acidosis caused
during hard work. Sodium helps balance the body water levels and
maintains blood pressure.
Potassium helps balance the fluid inside the cells, and is vital for
optimum muscle, heart and kidney function.
Chloride helps maintain the balance of acids and bases (alkalis).
Calcium builds bones & teeth and also contributes to normal function of
heart, nerves, muscle and blood clotting.
The loss of both potassium and sodium in sweat act to rapidly decrease
thirst and appetite, and this actually increases dehydration because the
horse will not eat or drink sufficient food and water to replace the
electrolyte losses, unless supplements are used regularly to replace the
deficit.
Any high performance horse trainer must recognise that electrolyte and B
vitamin losses are a daily fact of life which must be catered for every
day.
The three most common factors in poor or sub-standard performance of
horses are (a) lack of energy in diet, (b) excessive electrolyte and
body fluid losses, and (c ) inadequate intake of B group vitamins. These
three factors are continually shown to be critical in the ongoing Ranvet
diet analyses performed for a wide variety of equine performance
trainers.
For sustained and maximum performance, electrolyte losses must be
replaced on a daily basis.
In a training situation, electrolyte losses (and any subsequent
imbalances) cannot be corrected or prevented unless the horse receives
some form of electrolyte replacer in its daily feed ration.
Note also that adequate fibre in the horse diet is absolutely essential,
as fibre in the large intestine is an important means of storing water
reserves in the horse. High grain diets tend to have reduced fibre,
leaving reduced water storage capacity in the large intestine. On top of
this fact, many horses are reluctant to drink, especially when partly
dehydrated.
While common salt (sodium chloride) is essential to horses (at a rate of
30-60g daily), the high performance horse needs a more complex and
comprehensive electrolyte intake to sustain peak performance under
stress conditions.
Calcium losses can be high in sweat, particularly in long distance
competitions when excessive losses result in a clinical condition called
“heaves”. Calcium is essential for maintaining normal, controlled
skeletal and heart muscle contractions.
B Group Vitamins are required in significantly higher levels as the
grain component of the diet increases, and as hard work increases. The B
vitamins are particularly essential in the conversion of carbohydrates,
fats and proteins into energy. They also have essential roles in
metabolism where deficiency can cause incoordination, nervousness,
reduced appetite, and less energy production.
Along with electrolytes, the B group vitamins are lost in sweat, and
require replacement on a daily basis, as they are not stored in the
body.
Stabled horses fed a cereal grain diet with protein meals, chaff and
dried hays will generally have low or inadequate levels of B vitamins to
meet daily requirements.
B group vitamins are water soluble, and not stored in the body. They
must be taken in on a daily basis to meet all requirements.
All essential vitamins required to work with the B group vitamins for
maximum efficiency are included in a quality product such as Ranvet's SALKAVITE.
Vitamin E and Rutin are natural antioxidants included in the formulation
for their acknowledged benefits to horses under extreme physical stress.
Vitamin B1 is critically involved in carbohydrate metabolism to produce
energy. Heavy sweating and work increase the demands for Vitamin B1.
Required on a daily basis. Essential for normal muscle and nerve
function. Helps maintain appetite.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is also critical for energy production from
carbohydrates, growth, and efficient feed utilisation. Required on a
daily basis. Maintains integrity of skin & mucous membranes.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), in association with niacin, is critical for
energy production and blood cell formation. Required on a daily basis,
and often deficient in feeds. Required for normal nerve function.
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) is involved in protein, carbohydrate and
fat metabolism, as well as working in conjunction with folic acid to
maintain red blood cell production. Vitamin B12 contains the essential
mineral cobalt.
Niacin is another water soluble B group vitamin required on a daily
basis and used in metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and amino acids, as
well as red blood cell formation.
Choline is a B group vitamin essential in building and maintaining cell
structures and in nerve impulse transmission. It is also critical to
normal liver function and in fat metabolism for energy.
Inositol helps in fat metabolism and nerve transmission.
Sodium & Chloride are essential in maintaining normal fluid balance
through their action as major electrolytes. Prevent dehydration, and
essential to maintain normal muscle contraction, nerve function and
digestion of nutrients. Sodium improves the palatability of feeds.
Replaces salt lost in sweat.
Potassium is involved in many essential metabolic processes, including
assisting the maintenance of fluid balance, utilisation of dietary
nutrients, normal muscle and nerve function, energy metabolism and heart
function.
Phosphorus is critically involved in energy metabolism, nerve function,
bone formation and strengthening, muscle function, and in the buffering
systems in blood and other body fluids.
Magnesium is an important mineral in many aspects of normal metabolism,
including muscle function, bone formation, and reducing nervous
behaviour in some horses.
COMBINING ELECTROLYTE SUPPLEMENTS FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE
It is widely accepted as essential to supplement electrolytes daily in
the diet of performance horses, and the rate of supplementation will
vary with the degree of fitness, work levels required, and the
environmental conditions.
Electrolyte losses can be significant even in cooler months, and it is
recommended that daily supplementation continue during all training and
competition stages.