Strategies for voluntary rehydration in horses during endurance exercise.
Abstract: To avoid dehydration and a decrease in performance capacity in horses, fluid and electrolyte losses need to be compensated for during long distance rides as well as on other occasions when sweat losses are high during exercise. Thirteen endurance-trained horses, age 5-14 years, were used to compare 3 strategies of voluntary rehydration during prolonged exercise, offering 1) water, 2) water after administering salt paste (3 x 30 g of NaCl) per os and 3) 0.9% saline. The ride covered 62 km and consisted of 3 rounds, of 20, 22 and 20 km, respectively. During the first 20 km, no fluid was offered to any of the horses. Thereafter, fluid was repeatedly offered from buckets at the 'vet gates' and at fluid stations situated in the middle of the rounds. Fluid intake and bodyweight were measured during the ride and up until 3 b after the ride. The low heart rates and unchanged plasma glucose concentration indicated that the work load was moderate. Total fluid intake was significantly higher in the saline group than in the water group or the salt paste group. The total plasma protein concentration (TPP) fell below resting values in the saline group post exercise, indicating an increase in plasma volume. No changes in TPP were seen in the other groups. Plasma sodium concentration during the ride increased in the salt paste group but not in the saline drinking horses despite their higher NaCl intake. The water group had an increased plasma aldosterone concentration post exercise, indicating that sodium-conserving mechanisms had been activated. Plasma potassium concentration decreased in all treatments from pre- to post ride. It was concluded, that drinking saline solution during and after exercise is a good strategy for rehydration since this group showed the fastest recovery of their bodyweight losses. The persistently elevated plasma sodium concentration in the salt paste group during the ride, is indicative of a disturbance in the fluid distribution between the body fluid compartments, which can be exacerbated by the low water intake. To give salt paste immediately before or during exercise is, therefore, not recommended.
Publication Date: 1996-07-01 PubMed ID: 8894556DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1996.tb05037.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research study explores the best methods for rehydration in horses during long-distance endurance exercise. Three different strategies were compared: offering horses water, water after salt paste administration, and a saline solution. The results concluded that drinking saline solution during and after exercise proved to be most effective for rehydration.
Methods of Research
- Thirteen endurance-trained horses aged between 5 and 14 years were used for the study.
- Three strategies for rehydration were compared: drinking water, drinking water after administration of salt paste, and drinking a saline solution.
- The horses had to cover a ride of 62 km in three rounds, with no fluids offered in the first 20km. Fluids were offered at different intervals throughout the remaining distance.
- Bodyweight and fluid intake of the horses were measured during the ride and for up to three hours after the ride.
Results and Findings
- The group of horses drinking a saline solution had a significantly higher total fluid intake than those in the water only or salt paste groups.
- The total plasma protein concentration in the saline group fell below resting values post-exercise, indicating an increase in plasma volume. There were no changes in this group in the other groups.
- Plasma sodium concentration increased in the salt paste group but not in the saline drinking horses, despite their higher sodium chloride intake.
- The horses offered water showed an increased plasma aldosterone concentration post exercise, indicating sodium conservation mechanisms had been activated.
- All treatments led to a decrease in plasma potassium concentration from pre- to post-ride.
- The fastest recovery in bodyweight losses was in the group that drank the saline solution.
- The elevation of plasma sodium concentration in the salt paste group during the ride suggests a disturbance in fluid distribution which could be exacerbated by low water intake, making it the least recommended approach of the three studied.
Conclusions
- The study ultimately concludes that drinking a 0.9% saline solution during and after exercise is the most effective strategy for rehydration in endurance trained horses.
- Using a salt paste immediately before or during exercise could potentially disrupt the fluid balance in the body and thus is not recommended as it could exacerbate dehydration.
Cite This Article
APA
Nyman S, Jansson A, Dahlborn K, Lindholm A.
(1996).
Strategies for voluntary rehydration in horses during endurance exercise.
Equine Vet J Suppl(22), 99-106.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1996.tb05037.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
MeSH Terms
- Administration, Oral
- Aldosterone / blood
- Animals
- Blood Glucose / analysis
- Blood Proteins / analysis
- Body Temperature
- Chlorides / blood
- Dehydration / prevention & control
- Dehydration / veterinary
- Drinking
- Female
- Fluid Therapy / veterinary
- Heart Rate
- Hematocrit / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / prevention & control
- Horses
- Male
- Ointments
- Osmolar Concentration
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Potassium / blood
- Rehydration Solutions / administration & dosage
- Sodium / blood
- Sodium Chloride / administration & dosage
- Water / administration & dosage
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Walker WT, Callan RJ, Hill AE, Tisher KB. Effects of oral powder electrolyte administration on packed cell volume, plasma chemistry parameters, and incidence of colic in horses participating in a 6-day 162-km trail ride.. Can Vet J 2014 Aug;55(8):765-71.
- Larsson J, Pilborg PH, Johansen M, Christophersen MT, Holte A, Roepstorff L, Olsen LH, Harrison AP. Physiological parameters of endurance horses pre- compared to post-race, correlated with performance: a two race study from scandinavia.. ISRN Vet Sci 2013;2013:684353.
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