Ridecamp: Re: [RC] electrolyte before rides

> I know there is a TON of threads about electrolytes, but I can't seem to
> find one that mentions why it is recommended to electrolyte your horse
> hours and even the day before a competition.  Isn't the purpose of
> electrolyting to replenish lost elytes? so why administer before the loss
> of sweat? Can someone educate me on this? thanks!!

You're right, you won't be able to  replenish electrolytes that haven't yet
been lost, nor can you super-load the body before an event.  The point of
small and frequent amounts of electrolytes before a ride is to slightly
increase the concentration of sodium (salt) in the blood---which in turn
helps to encourage the thirst response and drinking during travel, at base
camp, etc.  The kidneys do flush out the excess sodium within a few hours,
so smallish repeated doses if possible are probably more useful than just
one big dose.

The same goes for a dose of electrolytes before the start---you aren't
replacing electrolytes that haven't been lost yet, just trying to encourage
your horse to drink earlier in the ride than he might otherwise.
Eventually, the loss of water through sweat will also trigger a thirst
response, but it tends to be a slow response---you don't get thirsty as soon
as you start to get dehydrated, so it's worthwhile trying to jump start that
response a little sooner if you can. :-)

Susan G



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