A lot has been written about the dangers of feeding kelp (seaweed) to animals (and humans). To quote Owens & Huntington in "What's in a Label", seaweed contains "lots of iodine and precious little of anything else". They warn of iodine toxicity, amongst other things.
Let me explain what nonsense that is. Firstly, kelp contains 46 minerals, 16 amino acids and 11 vitamins. Hardly” precious little of anything else”. Secondly, the level of iodine in a good batch of kelp is negligible. If fed correctly (15g per day) the level of iodine is way below toxic levels.
Juliette de Bairacli Levy was the first to recommend seaweed as a nutritional supplement for animals, in the 1930s. Veterinarians of the day mocked her suggestion, but today she has been proved to have been correct. Kelp is now widely used and accepted as a valuable and inexpensive feed supplement for all livestock including horses and dogs.
Kelp is: anti-inflammatory, demulcent, emollient, protective against radiation, anti-cancer, anti-tumour, antibiotic, immuno-stimulant, anti-viral and soothing to intestinal mucosa.
The alginates in kelp:
- assist in the prevention of absorption of toxic metals like mercury, cadmium, plutonium and cesium.
- protect the body against radiation.
In dogs, it is recommended by Martin Zucker (The Veterinarians’ Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs”) for cancer, heart disease, mange, old age, stool eating and thyroid gland regulation.
Hilary Page Self (A Modern Horse Herbal) says that kelp is “used extensively for underactive thyroid, and as an excellent source of minerals for the body and used externally for compresses to reduce inflammation and arthritic pain.”
All in all, kelp is an excellent all-round supplement. Just be sure to obtain from a reliable source (like The Herbal Horse or The Herbal Pet). Kelp grown in polluted water can contain unacceptable levels of contaminants.
Showing posts with label supplement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supplement. Show all posts
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Protein and Making Muscles
What is Protein?
Your horse's body is made up of more than 100 000 different proteins. There are proteins in hair, in eyes, in blood, in muscle, in every single cell of your horse's body. Protein actually makes up about ¾ of the dry weight of most living cells. They are involved in many of the essential functions of life as nutrient carriers, enzymes, antibodies, etc.
Proteins are made up of smaller "building blocks" called amino acids. There are two types of amino acids - essential and non essential. Non essential amino acids can be manufactured by the body if they are needed. Essential amino acids must be provided in the diet as they can't be made in the horse's body.
Once a protein has been eaten, it is broken up by the body into these smaller molecules. Then the amino acids are dispatched to wherever they are needed in the body for protein synthesis.
Protein Synthesis Imagine a huge factory with DNA "workers" standing at a "conveyer belt" assembling protein molecules. (DNA, the molecule that forms genes, is coded with specific recipes for proteins - this determines what we look like, think like, what colour eyes we have, etc.) Along the "conveyer belt" come the amino acids that we have consumed. Each "worker" collects the amino acids he needs and puts them together according to the specific recipe encoded on the gene.
Limiting Amino Acids
What happens when a "worker" can't find the specific amino acid which he needs? Then protein synthesis simply stops. That protein can't be made. The amino acid which most often causes this problem is called lysine. It is known as the first limiting amino acid. The second limiting amino acid is usually threonine or tryptophan. This is why protein quality is of such utmost importance.
Protein Quality
When ordering your horse's feed from your supplier, you will probably ask for a 12% meal, or whichever version you feed. What exactly does this mean? The value refers to the total amount of protein in the food. The interesting thing is that it's not so much how much protein is in the feed that counts - it is the quality of that protein that is important.
In other words, some proteins are better than other proteins. The best protein, from a horse's point of view, is one in which the amino acid profile is exactly what the horse needs. So, the DNA "worker" described above has exactly what he needs to do his job - making a specific protein with none of the essential amino acids missing. Some proteins are of such low quality, they are totally useless and you might as well not feed them at all.
Supplementation
During hard training, the equine athlete will damage muscle tissue as a result of lactic acid production and over exertion. These damaged tissues need to be repaired as soon as possible. This, of course, is a process that requires protein synthesis. As does the building up of muscle tissue from scratch when training.
Growing horses also need much more protein and amino acids than average.
If your horse fits one of these categories - building muscle, growing or in hard work, it would be wise to supplement his diet with a source of amino acids and proteins. The Herbal Horse products which are suitable are: Sport Horse mix, Endurance mix.
Your horse's body is made up of more than 100 000 different proteins. There are proteins in hair, in eyes, in blood, in muscle, in every single cell of your horse's body. Protein actually makes up about ¾ of the dry weight of most living cells. They are involved in many of the essential functions of life as nutrient carriers, enzymes, antibodies, etc.
Proteins are made up of smaller "building blocks" called amino acids. There are two types of amino acids - essential and non essential. Non essential amino acids can be manufactured by the body if they are needed. Essential amino acids must be provided in the diet as they can't be made in the horse's body.
Once a protein has been eaten, it is broken up by the body into these smaller molecules. Then the amino acids are dispatched to wherever they are needed in the body for protein synthesis.
Protein Synthesis Imagine a huge factory with DNA "workers" standing at a "conveyer belt" assembling protein molecules. (DNA, the molecule that forms genes, is coded with specific recipes for proteins - this determines what we look like, think like, what colour eyes we have, etc.) Along the "conveyer belt" come the amino acids that we have consumed. Each "worker" collects the amino acids he needs and puts them together according to the specific recipe encoded on the gene.
Limiting Amino Acids
What happens when a "worker" can't find the specific amino acid which he needs? Then protein synthesis simply stops. That protein can't be made. The amino acid which most often causes this problem is called lysine. It is known as the first limiting amino acid. The second limiting amino acid is usually threonine or tryptophan. This is why protein quality is of such utmost importance.
Protein Quality
When ordering your horse's feed from your supplier, you will probably ask for a 12% meal, or whichever version you feed. What exactly does this mean? The value refers to the total amount of protein in the food. The interesting thing is that it's not so much how much protein is in the feed that counts - it is the quality of that protein that is important.
In other words, some proteins are better than other proteins. The best protein, from a horse's point of view, is one in which the amino acid profile is exactly what the horse needs. So, the DNA "worker" described above has exactly what he needs to do his job - making a specific protein with none of the essential amino acids missing. Some proteins are of such low quality, they are totally useless and you might as well not feed them at all.
Supplementation
During hard training, the equine athlete will damage muscle tissue as a result of lactic acid production and over exertion. These damaged tissues need to be repaired as soon as possible. This, of course, is a process that requires protein synthesis. As does the building up of muscle tissue from scratch when training.
Growing horses also need much more protein and amino acids than average.
If your horse fits one of these categories - building muscle, growing or in hard work, it would be wise to supplement his diet with a source of amino acids and proteins. The Herbal Horse products which are suitable are: Sport Horse mix, Endurance mix.
Endurance: What to Feed
Ever wondered how your endurance horse converts last night's dinner into today's performance? This is how he does it.
The horse's body converts feed into energy storage molecules (glycogen, glucose and free fatty acids). During exercise, a horse's muscles need ATP (adenosine triphosphate), in order to contract . There are two processes in the horse's body, which produce ATP from these storage molecules:
Aerobic metabolism
Anaerobic metabolism
When the horse is working at a moderate pace (usually up to trotting speed in a fit endurance horse), the aerobic pathway produces ATP for muscle contraction from glycogen, glucose and fatty acids. It uses oxygen which has been carried to the site of action by the blood. Harmless by-products are produced, which are excreted as the horse sweats.
When the horse needs to expend more energy than this by, for example, climbing a hill or producing a burst of speed, anaerobic metabolism takes over. Anaerobic metabolism doesn't need oxygen and produces energy very fast, but in small amounts. The big disadvantage of the anaerobic pathway is the production of a by-product called lactic acid, which builds up in the muscle, causing the pH of the muscle to drop producing fatigue and possibly contributing to the "tying up" syndrome. When a certain level of lactic acid in the muscle is reached, the pathway shuts down. Then, the fast muscle action cannot be maintained.
Most of the time, the endurance horse travels at speeds which can be fuelled by the aerobic pathway. If fit, the anaerobic pathway should only be used for short intervals. So fatigue in endurance horses is more likely to result from the glycogen stores running out than from lactic acid build up. Eventually however, the horses heart rate increases, the rate of ATP utilization increases, and the "anaerobic threshold" is reached. This usually happens at about 140-150 beats per minute. At this stage, fatigue starts to set in.
Adequate starch and fat must be provided in the diet of the endurance horse. Starch is very important, as it is one of the major factors in the synthesis of glycogen. Increased feeding of fats has recently been shown to have a glycogen sparing effect. This means that a larger proportion of fatty acids are used in the aerobic pathway, thus increasing the amount of time before the glycogen runs out. So, it would be a good thing to supplement the endurance horse's diet with up to one cup of sunflower oil per day.
Protein, although essential in the diet and useful in many ways, should not be fed in excess. This is because it is not an efficient energy source, it results in a need for increased water and potentially harmful breakdown products such as urea and nitrogen are produced.
One of the most important energy sources for the horse is fibre (provided by hay or grass). The horse's hind gut is full of bacteria that ferment fibre. The fermentation process produces energy for a long time after the meal, making this a valuable source of energy for the horse during the ride.
Besides these there are nutrients that are missing in feed normally provided to the endurance horse. So it is always wise to feed a good supplement which provides these nutrients. A feed supplement designed for endurance horses should:
The horse's body converts feed into energy storage molecules (glycogen, glucose and free fatty acids). During exercise, a horse's muscles need ATP (adenosine triphosphate), in order to contract . There are two processes in the horse's body, which produce ATP from these storage molecules:
Aerobic metabolism
Anaerobic metabolism
When the horse is working at a moderate pace (usually up to trotting speed in a fit endurance horse), the aerobic pathway produces ATP for muscle contraction from glycogen, glucose and fatty acids. It uses oxygen which has been carried to the site of action by the blood. Harmless by-products are produced, which are excreted as the horse sweats.
When the horse needs to expend more energy than this by, for example, climbing a hill or producing a burst of speed, anaerobic metabolism takes over. Anaerobic metabolism doesn't need oxygen and produces energy very fast, but in small amounts. The big disadvantage of the anaerobic pathway is the production of a by-product called lactic acid, which builds up in the muscle, causing the pH of the muscle to drop producing fatigue and possibly contributing to the "tying up" syndrome. When a certain level of lactic acid in the muscle is reached, the pathway shuts down. Then, the fast muscle action cannot be maintained.
Most of the time, the endurance horse travels at speeds which can be fuelled by the aerobic pathway. If fit, the anaerobic pathway should only be used for short intervals. So fatigue in endurance horses is more likely to result from the glycogen stores running out than from lactic acid build up. Eventually however, the horses heart rate increases, the rate of ATP utilization increases, and the "anaerobic threshold" is reached. This usually happens at about 140-150 beats per minute. At this stage, fatigue starts to set in.
Adequate starch and fat must be provided in the diet of the endurance horse. Starch is very important, as it is one of the major factors in the synthesis of glycogen. Increased feeding of fats has recently been shown to have a glycogen sparing effect. This means that a larger proportion of fatty acids are used in the aerobic pathway, thus increasing the amount of time before the glycogen runs out. So, it would be a good thing to supplement the endurance horse's diet with up to one cup of sunflower oil per day.
Protein, although essential in the diet and useful in many ways, should not be fed in excess. This is because it is not an efficient energy source, it results in a need for increased water and potentially harmful breakdown products such as urea and nitrogen are produced.
One of the most important energy sources for the horse is fibre (provided by hay or grass). The horse's hind gut is full of bacteria that ferment fibre. The fermentation process produces energy for a long time after the meal, making this a valuable source of energy for the horse during the ride.
Besides these there are nutrients that are missing in feed normally provided to the endurance horse. So it is always wise to feed a good supplement which provides these nutrients. A feed supplement designed for endurance horses should:
- help to delay the "anaerobic threshold", thus prolonging the period of harmless aerobic ATP generation and delaying the onset of muscle fatigue.
- help to increase the stores of glycogen so that the store doesn't run out during exercise
- help to increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, so that sufficient oxygen is available for the aerobic pathway
- manage the situation of lactic acid build up and the resulting problems such as muscle fatigue, recovery, stiffness and "tying-up"
Some of the nutraceuticals that are believed to have these effects are:
- Thiamine (been found to decrease the lactic acid levels)
- Cyanocobalamine (could improve propionate conversion to glucose)
- Vitamin E (A study has found that vitamin E deficient horses show a quicker fatigue time during endurance exercise)
- Folic acid (Involved in the synthesis of haemoglobin, the blood's oxygen carrier)
- Siberian Ginseng (A proven adaptogen with a glycogen sparing and ergogenic (endurance-enhancing) action)
- Spirulina (Energy producing)
- N,N-dimethylglycine (Aids recovery, ergogenic)
- MSM (Helps recovery by decreasing stiffness and inflammation)
- Selenium (Known to be effective in decreasing "tying-up" or azoturia)
Horses - to supplement or not?
Ideally, none of our horses should need any supplementation to their diets. In a perfect world, our horses would have a constant supply of good grazing and the concentrated feed that we give them would be tailored specifically for their own particular needs. But we don't live in this perfect world and our grazing quality is variable at best (some of our horses don't have access to grazing at all). Exercise and weather affect our horse's energy requirements and horse feed quality can be good, bad or variable. Without a chemist to analyse every component of our horses diet, every day and relate the results to his energy requirements, we are, to a large extent, guessing when it comes to feeding our horses. Realistically, all we can hope to do is to provide all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that he may or may not need during the day.
Wastage
It has been argued (in humans at least), that supplementation with vitamins is unnecessary and results in nothing more than yellow urine. But this is like arguing that water is unnecessary because it also ends up in the urine! Taking vitamins is like drinking a glass of water - as they are needed in the body, they are used. If a need for a certain mineral or vitamin exists, and none is available, signs of deficiency will manifest themselves.
Quality
All sorts of variables play a part in whether or not supplementation is necessary. The quality of the grazing and/or the hay is important. So is the quality of the concentrate fed. And even a very good quality hay or concentrate deteriorates on storage. Also, even if a nutrient, vitamin or mineral is present in the diet, this does not mean that it is present in an easily digestible form. Some chemical forms of iron, for example, are very difficult to absorb.
Special Requirements
Then there are the horses with special requirements. Older horses have digestive systems that are less efficient than younger horse's, so they don't absorb the nutrients as well as they should. Horses who have had severe worm problems or who have been starved may have damaged digestive systems. Other horses have weak hooves and require more of certain nutrients to correct this. Show horses need to be in exceptionally good condition.
Sport horses, like endurance horses, eventers or racehorses have much higher energy requirements than horses in normal work. They also need more protein and amino acids for muscle-building. Muscles are made up mainly of proteins, which in turn are comprised of strings of amino acids joined together. Certain amino acids, e.g. lysine, are known as essential amino acids. This means that they can't be synthesised by the horse's own body. So if they are not supplied in the diet, and a certain protein needs to be made, when it comes to the place in the protein chain where that particular amino acid fits, protein synthesis (and therefore muscle development) just stops.
Disadvantages
What are the disadvantages of supplementation? Some people argue that our horse feeds are balanced, so supplementation with vitamins etcetera, unbalances the feed. Here again, we can return to the "glass of water" analogy - if the horse doesn't need what we are supplying, then it just passes straight through. So at worst, we are just wasting money! But if the horse's body does need what we are supplying, it is there and can be used.
Over dosages and side-effects
This is, of course provided that we don't go completely overboard and overdose with vitamins and minerals. This is possible, especially with the fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A (Retinol). So, it is of utmost importance to feed only as directed by the supplier and not to use too many different supplements at once.
Herbal supplements, especially, must be regarded as medicines. One can overdose on herbs and side effects are also common. In some countries, certain herbs e.g. Valeriana, are banned and are tested for when drug testing takes place. So be sure to choose a reputable supplier of herbal supplements.
Conclusion
So, overall, the choice to supplement or not is up to the individual horse owner. Keep a close eye on your horse's condition - he may need extra supplements only at certain times of the year, or only during periods of hard work. Or he may have one of those digestive systems that need extra supplementation all year round. Every horse's situation is unique and each horse needs to be treated as an individual.
Wastage
It has been argued (in humans at least), that supplementation with vitamins is unnecessary and results in nothing more than yellow urine. But this is like arguing that water is unnecessary because it also ends up in the urine! Taking vitamins is like drinking a glass of water - as they are needed in the body, they are used. If a need for a certain mineral or vitamin exists, and none is available, signs of deficiency will manifest themselves.
Quality
All sorts of variables play a part in whether or not supplementation is necessary. The quality of the grazing and/or the hay is important. So is the quality of the concentrate fed. And even a very good quality hay or concentrate deteriorates on storage. Also, even if a nutrient, vitamin or mineral is present in the diet, this does not mean that it is present in an easily digestible form. Some chemical forms of iron, for example, are very difficult to absorb.
Special Requirements
Then there are the horses with special requirements. Older horses have digestive systems that are less efficient than younger horse's, so they don't absorb the nutrients as well as they should. Horses who have had severe worm problems or who have been starved may have damaged digestive systems. Other horses have weak hooves and require more of certain nutrients to correct this. Show horses need to be in exceptionally good condition.
Sport horses, like endurance horses, eventers or racehorses have much higher energy requirements than horses in normal work. They also need more protein and amino acids for muscle-building. Muscles are made up mainly of proteins, which in turn are comprised of strings of amino acids joined together. Certain amino acids, e.g. lysine, are known as essential amino acids. This means that they can't be synthesised by the horse's own body. So if they are not supplied in the diet, and a certain protein needs to be made, when it comes to the place in the protein chain where that particular amino acid fits, protein synthesis (and therefore muscle development) just stops.
Disadvantages
What are the disadvantages of supplementation? Some people argue that our horse feeds are balanced, so supplementation with vitamins etcetera, unbalances the feed. Here again, we can return to the "glass of water" analogy - if the horse doesn't need what we are supplying, then it just passes straight through. So at worst, we are just wasting money! But if the horse's body does need what we are supplying, it is there and can be used.
Over dosages and side-effects
This is, of course provided that we don't go completely overboard and overdose with vitamins and minerals. This is possible, especially with the fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A (Retinol). So, it is of utmost importance to feed only as directed by the supplier and not to use too many different supplements at once.
Herbal supplements, especially, must be regarded as medicines. One can overdose on herbs and side effects are also common. In some countries, certain herbs e.g. Valeriana, are banned and are tested for when drug testing takes place. So be sure to choose a reputable supplier of herbal supplements.
Conclusion
So, overall, the choice to supplement or not is up to the individual horse owner. Keep a close eye on your horse's condition - he may need extra supplements only at certain times of the year, or only during periods of hard work. Or he may have one of those digestive systems that need extra supplementation all year round. Every horse's situation is unique and each horse needs to be treated as an individual.
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