Total Carbon Dioxide in Adult Standardbred and Thoroughbred Horses.
Abstract: The TCO2 (total carbon dioxide) test is performed on the blood of racehorses as a means of combatting the practice of administering alkalizing agents for the purpose of enhancing performance. The purposes of this review are to present an overview of the factors contributing to TCO2 and to review the literature regarding TCO2 in adult Standardbred and Thoroughbred horses to demonstrate the range of variability of TCO2 in horses. Most of the research published on the topic of TCO2 or bicarbonate measurement in racehorses was accessed and reviewed. PubMed and Google Scholar were the primary search engines used to source the relevant literature. The main physicochemical factors that contribute to changes in TCO2 in horses at rest are changes in strong ions concentration, followed by changes in weak acid (i.e. plasma albumin) concentrations. There is a wide normal distribution of TCO2 in horses ranging from 23 mmol/L to 38 mmol/L. Independent of administration of alkalizing agents, blood TCO2 is affected mainly by feeding, time of day (diurnal variation), season and exercise. There are few studies that have reported hour-by-hour changes in TCO2. Racehorse population studies suffer from lack of validation regarding whether or not a horse was administered an alkalizing agent. It is concluded that the normal range of TCO2 in non-alkalized Standardbred and Thoroughbred horses is significantly wider than has been appreciated, that periods of elevated TCO2 appear to be normal for many horses at rest, and that a TCO2 test alone is not definitive for the purposes of determining of an alkalizing agent has been administered to a horse.
Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Publication Date: 2021-08-12 PubMed ID: 34670689DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103730Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
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This research investigates the total carbon dioxide (TCO2) in the blood of adult Standardbred and Thoroughbred horses under different conditions, and its possible fluctuations due to various factors.
Review and Research Method
- The research extensively reviews existing literature on TCO2 or bicarbonate measurements in racehorses, particularly adult Standardbred and Thoroughbred horses.
- Research papers were sourced mainly from PubMed and Google Scholar.
- These studies were scrutinized to provide an overarching view of the contributing factors to TCO2 and to show the range of variability of TCO2 in horses.
Significant Findings
- The main physical and chemical factors impacting TCO2 levels in resting horses are changes in strong ions concentration followed by changes in weak acids (such as plasma albumin) concentrations.
- There is a broad normal distribution of TCO2 in horses, ranging from 23 mmol/L to 38 mmol/L.
- Blood TCO2 is influenced not only by the administration of alkalizing agents, but also by other factors such as feeding, time of day (diurnal variation), season, and exercise.
Lack of Hourly TCO2 Data and Validation Issues
- The study mentions that there are limited reports detailing hour-by-hour variations in TCO2 levels.
- Additionally, existing population studies on racehorses lack validation about whether an alkalizing agent was administered to the horse or not. This omission presents difficulties in completely understanding the impact of these agents on TCO2 levels.
Conclusions
- The normal range of TCO2 in non-alkalized Standardbred and Thoroughbred horses is significantly wider than previously understood.
- Periods of elevated TCO2 are normal for many resting horses.
- The TCO2 test on its own is not sufficient to definitively determine if an alkalizing agent has been administered to a horse.
Cite This Article
APA
Lindinger MI.
(2021).
Total Carbon Dioxide in Adult Standardbred and Thoroughbred Horses.
J Equine Vet Sci, 106, 103730.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103730 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- The Nutraceutical Alliance Inc., Burlington, ON, Canada. Electronic address: michael@nutraceuticalalliance.ca.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Carbon Dioxide
- Horses
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- Reference Values
- Seasons
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Weinstein Y, Ovadia Y, Weinstein B, Weinstein A. The Effects of Amorphous Calcium Carbonate (ACC) Supplementation on Resistance Exercise Performance in Women.. Nutrients 2023 Jan 19;15(3).
- Waller AP, Lindinger MI. Tracing Acid-Base Variables in Exercising Horses: Effects of Pre-Loading Oral Electrolytes.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Dec 24;13(1).
- Lindinger MI, Waller AP. Physicochemical Analysis of Mixed Venous and Arterial Blood Acid-Base State in Horses at Core Temperature during and after Moderate-Intensity Exercise.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jul 22;12(15).
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