Dietary control of exertional rhabdomyolysis in horses.

The research article evaluates the effects of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet on reducing the severity of exertional rhabdomyolysis, a form of exercise-induced muscle injury, in horses. The study found that the change in diet may be helpful in mitigating the challenges posed by abnormal carbohydrate metabolism in some horses, thus reducing muscle damage.

Objective and Methodology

The chief aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet on the severity of exercise-induced muscle injury—exertional rhabdomyolysis—in horses. In order to effectively verify their hypothesis, the researchers:

• Took specimens from the semitendinosus or semimembranosus muscle of the 19 horses who had a history of exertional rhabdomyolysis for histologic examination.
• Measured serum activities of creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate transaminase (AST)—which are signs of muscle injury–four hours after exercise.
• Altered the horses’ diet to a low-carbohydrate, high-fat regime and evaluated serum CK and AST levels around every month over a time span of 3 to 6 months.

Findings and Conclusion

The serum CK and AST levels after exercise were found to be high prior to the dietary changes, indicating considerable muscle damage. When the horses’ diet was altered, there was a significant decrease in post-exercise CK and AST serum levels after a period of 3 to 6 months. This implied that the change in diet effectively reduced the enzymatic indication of muscle injury.

Furthermore, it was found that all 19 horses studied showed evidence of chronic myopathic change (indicating long-term muscle damage) and abnormal glycogen accumulation in muscle biopsy specimens, conditions which may be linked to exertional rhabdomyolysis.

The key conclusion drawn from the findings was that exertional rhabdomyolysis in some horses may be a result of abnormal carbohydrate metabolism and that the consumption of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet could potentially reduce the severity of exercise-induced muscle injury. This shows that dietary modifications can be a pertinent strategy in managing exertional rhabdomyolysis in horses.