Meal size and feeding frequency influence serum leptin concentration in yearling horses.
Abstract: Energy is an essential nutrient for all horses, and it is especially important in performance horses, pregnant and lactating mares, and young growing horses. A negative energy balance in horses such as these may result in unsatisfactory performance, decreased fertility, or slow growth. Therefore, ensuring adequate energy intake is an important aspect of the nutritional management of the equine. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of feeding large, carbohydrate-rich, concentrate meals on the satiety-inducing hormone, leptin. Three groups of yearling horses were rotated through 3 feeding schedules in a replicated 3x3 Latin square design. Horses were fed 2, 3, or 4 times per day (2x, 3x, and 4xfeeding schedules, respectively), each for a period of 11 d, with the total amount of daily feed held constant. Horses were weighed and BCS was determined on the first day of each period. Blood samples were collected before the morning meal on d 1, 4, and 7 of each period. Additionally, blood was sampled for the last 24 h of the 2xand 4xdietary periods. Neither weight nor BCS changed during the study (P = 0.99 and P = 0.28, respectively). Both mean and peak plasma glucose were greatest in 2xhorses (P < 0.05), as were mean areas under the curve. Serum leptin concentration increased in 2xhorses (P < 0.05), but not in horses fed 3 or 4 times daily. Leptin was elevated in horses with greater BCS (P < 0.05) and increased steadily throughout the study (P < 0.05). Data from the 24-h collection indicated that 2xhorses had fluctuations in leptin production throughout the day (P < 0.05), whereas horses fed 4 times daily did not. Overall, this study indicates that feeding horses 2 large concentrate meals daily can increase mean serum leptin concentrations and may cause fluctuations in leptin production over a 24-h period. This departure from baseline leptin concentration has the potential to affect appetite, along with numerous other physiological processes.
Publication Date: 2006-08-16 PubMed ID: 16908642DOI: 10.2527/jas.2005-281Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
Summary
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This research investigates how the frequency and size of horse feeding impact the level of the appetite-controlling hormone, leptin. The research deduces that offering large meals to horses twice a day causes an increase and fluctuation in leptin levels.
Objective and Methodology
- The main goal of this study was to understand how feeding large, carbohydrate-rich meals impacts serum leptin concentrations in yearling horses.
- Energy is vital for all horses, particularly performance horses, mares that are pregnant or lactating, and young growing horses. Inability to maintain an optimal energy balance may adversely affect performance, fertility, and growth.
- The researchers used a 3×3 Latin square design, which allows a balance of different feed schedules on various groups of horses for evaluation of results. The horses were separated into three groups and went through a rotation of being fed 2, 3, or 4 times per day over 11-day periods.
- Throughout the study, the total amount of daily feed provided was constant, only the frequency and size of each feeding varied.
Findings and Outputs
- At the end of the study, it was noted that neither the weight nor the Body Condition Score (BCS) of the horses altered. BCS is a standard method used to evaluate the body condition or fat level in a horse.
- However, the horses that were fed twice daily (2x horses) had the highest mean and peak plasma glucose levels.
- The research also found an increase in serum leptin concentration in the 2x fed horses
- Significantly, leptin was found to be heightened in horses with greater BCS and it increased progressively throughout the period of the study.
- The data from the 24-hour collection highlighted that the 2x fed horses had changes in leptin production within a single day, whereas, the horses that were fed 4 times a day did not exhibit such changes.
Conclusion and Interpretation
- The study ascertains that feeding horses two large concentrate meals a day can escalate average serum leptin concentrations and could induce fluctuations in leptin production during a 24-hour cycle.
- Such an increase and variation in leptin concentration may impact the horse’s appetite and other physiological processes.
Cite This Article
APA
Steelman SM, Michael-Eller EM, Gibbs PG, Potter GD.
(2006).
Meal size and feeding frequency influence serum leptin concentration in yearling horses.
J Anim Sci, 84(9), 2391-2398.
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2005-281 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medical Physiology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas 77843, USA. smbruce@neo.tamu.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animal Feed
- Animal Husbandry
- Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
- Animals
- Diet / veterinary
- Energy Metabolism
- Female
- Horses / blood
- Horses / physiology
- Leptin / blood
- Male
- Sex Characteristics
- Time Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Camara A, Verbrugghe A, Cargo-Froom C, Hogan K, DeVries TJ, Sanchez A, Robinson LE, Shoveller AK. The daytime feeding frequency affects appetite-regulating hormones, amino acids, physical activity, and respiratory quotient, but not energy expenditure, in adult cats fed regimens for 21 days. PLoS One 2020;15(9):e0238522.
- Robles M, Gautier C, Mendoza L, Peugnet P, Dubois C, Dahirel M, Lejeune JP, Caudron I, Guenon I, Camous S, Tarrade A, Wimel L, Serteyn D, Bouraima-Lelong H, Chavatte-Palmer P. Maternal Nutrition during Pregnancy Affects Testicular and Bone Development, Glucose Metabolism and Response to Overnutrition in Weaned Horses Up to Two Years. PLoS One 2017;12(1):e0169295.
- Raynor HA, Goff MR, Poole SA, Chen G. Eating Frequency, Food Intake, and Weight: A Systematic Review of Human and Animal Experimental Studies. Front Nutr 2015;2:38.
- Deng P, Ridge TK, Graves TK, Spears JK, Swanson KS. Effects of dietary macronutrient composition and feeding frequency on fasting and postprandial hormone response in domestic cats. J Nutr Sci 2013;2:e36.
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