What Is the Effect of Fish Oil Supplementation on Glucose Clearance in Older Horses?

The aim of this study was to investigate the glucose dynamics in horses fed a high-fat or moderate-carbohydrate diet and to investigate if fish oil moderated these effects.

Four aged, nonobese Thoroughbred geldings were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design study. Treatments consisted of grass hay, a vitamin/mineral supplement, and either oats and corn oil, oats and fish oil, hay cubes and soya oil and corn oil, or hay cubes and soya oil and fish oil. After four weeks on the diets, a frequently sampled glucose insulin test was performed. Plasma samples were tested for triglycerides, insulin, and glucose.

Horses fed a high-fat diet (hay cubes and corn and soya oil) had decreased glucose clearance compared with horses fed a moderate carbohydrate diet of oats and corn oil. Fish oil significantly affected glucose clearance in the high fat diet but had no effect on glucose clearance in the moderate carbohydrate diet.

This report of KER’s 2012 research was published in Proceedings of the Australasian Equine Science Symposium.

Read the entire research paper, titled Fish Oil Supplementation Attenuates Abnormal Glucose Clearance Caused by High Dietary Fat Intake in Aged Thoroughbred Geldings.