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Re: Carbo loading products



Hey Cindy,

If she hasn't already posted something, try talking to Karen
Chaton---she uses one of the carbo powders with Weaver and Rocky and
seems to have a pretty good protocol worked out.  Roger Rittenhouse also
has done alot of playing around with it, I'm sure lots of others, but
can't remember exactly who.

My general advice would be to just use some grain and plenty of hay
before the ride, not a carbo product.  I know Tom disagrees with me on
this one point, but horses really don't super-load glycogen like humans
(sometimes) can, and it can be possibly risky to boot.  Just making sure
you have a full gas tank by feeding some grain no closer than four hours
before the start is sufficient (assuming the horse isn't started out
wrung out and exhausted, in which case you have other, bigger
problems).  However, carbo products seem to be very beneficial during
the ride itself to maintain glucose levels.  The trick is to maintain
glucose without overdoing it and getting an insulin rebound effect.  How
much and how often is going to vary somewhat with every horse, so
experiment during some training rides, think about getting a glucometer
to give you some numbers to compare, and watch out for signs of insulin
rebound---if the horse gets really sleepy or loses energy, things like
that.  Tom can give you a better description of what to look for. 
Dosing small amounts at frequent intervals is going to give you better
results than large amounts at infrequent intervals, but check with Karen
for her routine.  If you have a choice, I'd suggest giving a scheduled
dose AFTER the horse has had an opportunity to eat some hay at a
check---high sugar content can slow gastric emptying, so make sure he
gets some hay first to maintain gut motility and encourage drinking.

Good luck!

Susan G

C Eyler wrote:
> 
> I'd like to know Ridecampers' experiences with carbo loaders...pro's and
> con's of various products (Carbocharge, Pro Burst, etc.).
> 
> Thanks for any and all info.
> 
> Cindy Eyler
> Baltimore



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