Re: RC: Re: Re: water weight

[Tivers@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/23/99 9:59:06 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
michrowe@frontier.net writes:

<< So the new weight would be 9.7 lbs per hour for a 1000 lb horse using
 Sarah's info on glycogen (basically glucose minus 1 water molecule).  Tom,
 how does 4 oz. of carbo loader every 2 hours help a horse that's burning
 about 20 lbs of glycogen between doses of carb loader?  Don't take that as a
 flame, I want to understand.  Are you trying to get the horse's body to use
 that loader for fuel or is the loader doing something else?  Is the loader
 pre-empting fat burning?
  >>

Ok, for the first part, if 9.7 lbs of glycogen is being burned, then some 40 
lbs of water is being released into the circulatory system per hour. At least 
during the first hour. Remember that as glycogen stores deplete, these 
numbers will drop considerably. They still seem pretty high to me, but we'll 
go with them for the time being.

As muscle glycogen stores drop, blood glucose will be called in to fill the 
gap--so water and glycogen will be pushed into the muscle cells as glycogen 
via the insulin pathway, as long as there is glucose at a reasonable level. 
At the same time, liver glycogen will be mobilized and sent to the working 
muscles--I don't know how many pounds of glycogen the liver carries around. 

Finally, fats, and then proteins will be called in to help fill the energy 
gap. so the contribution of glucose/glycogen to the total power output will 
drop as the ride progresses. 

What we're finding is that while 2 oz of CC will help keep the energy levels 
of the horse up throughout the ride, larger doses are probably better. We've 
used 4 oz with good results and are planning even larger doses in time.

Remember, too, that the horse will be getting extra carbs at the stops in the 
form of grain. 

the CC is a booster, not the be-all and end-all of energy supply. It's been 
used, has shown clearcut benefits, but where it really fits in the overall 
picture, and what the ideal doses are, nobody knows. Clearly, though, it 
doesn't make the horse implode, edxplode or catch on fire, as some would 
suggest.

ti 



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