Assessment of glucose disposal with the hyperglycaemic clamp technique during low intensity exercise in Warmblood horses.
BACKGROUND
The quantity of glucose disposal during exercise (walk and trot) compared to rest by use of the hyperglycaemic clamp technique has not been reported previously and has relevance to nutritional requirements.


OBJECTIVE
Exercise (walk and trot) significantly increases glucose disposal compared to rest.


METHODS
Seven healthy Dutch Warmblood mares, all in dioestrus, mean ± s.d. age 11.6 ± 2.4 years and weighing 569 ± 40 kg were fasted for 12 h prior to a hyperglycaemic clamp at rest (maintaining a steady state of the blood glucose concentration during 30 min), walk (10 min, 1.5 m/s), trot (20 min, 4.4 m/s), walk (10 min, 1.5 m/s) and rest again (maintaining a steady state during 30 min). Plasma glucose concentrations were measured every 5 min. The mean rate of glucose disposal was calculated by corrections for glucose loss via the glucose space and urine. A one-way ANOVA with post hoc Bonferroni was performed.


RESULTS
The mean ± s.d. rate of glucose disposal was 15.0 ± 2.1 at first rest, 25.1 ± 6.2 at first walk, 37.4 ± 9.1 at trot, 33.0 ± 13.1 at second walk and 18.7 ± 4.6 µmol/kg bwt/min at second rest. Values at trot and at second walk differed significantly from values at first rest, whereas values at both rests were similar as well as at first rest and at first walk.


CONCLUSIONS
Mean rate of glucose disposal of Warmblood horses increased 2.5 times during trot compared to basal.


CONCLUSIONS
The hyperglycaemic clamp technique is an attractive nonisotope method to assess the rate of glucose disposal in exercising horses.
Department of Equine Sciences, Medicine Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
A
A
Kemmink
C M
CM
Westermann
J H
JH
van der Kolk
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015309:Glucose Clamp Technique / Q000662:veterinary*; D006736:Horses / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
D001786:Blood Glucose