Ridecamp: Re: [RC] carbohydrate fuel

> I wonder if a horse can get dependent on carb loading and need it to
> metabolize properly during a ride?

Any athlete is dependent on glucose/glycogento one extent or another.
That's where the old saying comes from "Fat burns on the flame of glycogen."
You run out of carbs and you are DONE for the day.  Yes, the body gets
better at burning the substrates it's been supplied with.  But dependent, as
in will the horse crash if carb-supplemented one weekend and not the
next---nope.


 Just curious. What made me think of this
> is that many riders don't elyte every single day but only at rides because
> elyting works better that way.

Actually, Gayle Ecker and her group has demonstrated that that's not true
either.  Electrolyte requirements are ongoing and the kidney's *don't*
'learn' to conserve or better utilize electrolytes when deprived during
conditioning. It just creates possibly chronic dehydration, and starting a
ride less than fully hydrated (supported by the data from our research
group).

>
> The times I've carb loaded Blue at rides he was pretty pumped up from the
> stuff.  Can't you get the same results with small grain rations all day
> long?

Yes, you can.  But, as commented on elsewhere, some grains (like corn with
its high starch content) can produce sharp glucose spikes and equally rapid
drops, which you don't want.  The aim is to produce a consistent and
steadyglucose curve without the spikes.  That's easier to produce with
maltodextrins, but it *is* possible to get the same results with grain.  You
just have to 'dose' with grain in a lot of small, frequent and consistent
meals.  Exactly how much and when---you'd have to plot out your glucose
curves with grain, same as Roger did with the carb supplement.

Susan G



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