Fish Oil Supplementation Attenuates Abnormal Glucose Clearance Caused By High Dietary Fat Intake In Aged Thoroughbred Geldings

Fats and oils are a good source of energy for horses, but there is a link in some species between high-fat diets and insulin resistance (Frank, 2009). Long-chain omega 3 fatty acid supplementation (DHA and EPA) prevented the development of insulin resistance and improved insulin sensitivity in some species (Kalupahana et al, 2010) and previous work in horses, indicated fish oil (as a source of DHA and EPA) supplementation moderated glucose response to a grain meal, but did not affect insulin sensitivity (Hoffman et al, 2011). 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.

Pagan JD, Waldridge BM, Lange J, Brown-Douglas CG and Huntington PJ (2012). Fish Oil Supplementation Attenuates Glucose Intolerance Caused by High Dietary Fat Intake in Aged Thoroughbred Geldings. Proceedings of the Australasian Equine Science Symposium 4:38

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