Re: Carbos and eating crow

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Debbyly@aol.com wrote:
> 
> I would be interested to know if the research about the glucose spikes and
> insulin response have been done in exercising horses, horses that have already
> been exercising for quite a while and that will continue exercising.  I would
> suspect that the research has been done on horses at rest.

Research has been done every which way but loose---since the advent of
the high speed treadmill, it's alot easier to get repeatable exercise
trials (which doesn't sound like a big thing but it is---think about how
hard, if not impossible, it would be for you to go out tomorrow and do
EXACTLY the same conditioning regimen you did today, down to the last
foot.  Can't be done in the field, much easier on a treadmill, so you
know differences in performance are due to something OTHER than changes
in the exercise program).

However, one thing I've noticed in the research is that horses
undergoing "endurance type exercise" don't exercise for nearly what
anyone here on ridecamp would consider even a breeze in the park.  A
typical "endurance" workout on a treadmill might be only a few miles
long, and my personal opinion is that there are energetic pathways that
don't get cooking until much later---and may not occur at all in a horse
that is less than true endurance-fit (by OUR definition).

But anyway, to answer your question, yes, research has been done during
exercise, but there are still tons of variables that are going to affect
insulin and glucose levels, mostly having to do with intensity and
duration of exercise, also feeding schedules and type of feeds ingested.

I've been unable to find anything in the literature so far on use of a
carbo-loader for use as a blood-glucose-maintainer, and certainly
nothing under endurance conditions---at least not in horses.  Human data
is highly suggestive, but horses do have different energy sources that
humans don't, and the reliance on glucose isn't QUITE the same between
humans and horses.  Still, reading the human literature helps find a
direction to point for, though.


  In people the
> glucose spikes and insulin response do not happen if the carbos are taken
> during exercise.

Weeeeelllll, I don't profess to be a human exercise physiologist...but
in horses, insulin is a response to excess glucose---so I shy away from
"does not happen".  Under some circumstances, sure it can.

  I know nothing about fluid shifts.

If you're interested in getting the information from the source (very
interesting reading), check out "Feeding and Digestive Problems in
Horses---Physiologic Response to a Concentrated Meal" in Veterinary
Clinics of North America: Equine Practice--volume 6, No. 2, August 1990.

Tons of really illuminating information on fluid shifts, gut motility
patterns, and endocrinology in response to a meal.


 
> Maybe one of you scientists out there would consider this as a research
> project.

The planning meeting is, in fact, tomorrow morning.




  Endurance rides would provide a unique research set up.  I am sure
> that many endurance riders would be willing to have blood drawn on their
> horses during rides to further this kind of research.

Ah ha.  Already got a list of brave volunteers to drag onto the Cal Poly
treadmill, stay tuned for the next thrilling installment.


Susan Garlinghouse