Re: electrolyte supplementation

[CMKSAGEHIL <CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-04-16 16:09:32 EDT, guest@endurance.net writes:

<< There is absolutely no evidence to support the notion that 
 withholding electrolytes increases the ability of the body to 
 'conserve' electrolytes. >>

Please note that the discussion from me and the reference to Jeannie Waldron
did not suggest WITHHOLDING electrolytes, but rather not forcefully
supplementing electrolytes.  I don't think any of us would withhold free-
choice electrolytes from the working horse.

Although I am not good at collecting literature, I know I have read excerpts
from research indicating that both the kidneys and the sweat glands become
more conservative of electrolytes when the body is slightly depleted, and also
become very unthrifty with them when there is always plenty there.  One study
showed that sweat from conditioned horses can become as much as 90% less
concentrated, but that this efficiency is not reached in horses that are
constantly supplemented.  I don't recall actual numbers for kidney
conservation of electrolytes.  I do simple taste tests of the sweat on my
horses to ascertain their degree of sweat efficiency--on unconditioned horses,
the sweat tastes very noticeably salty, and on the very fit ones, I almost
cannot detect a salty taste.  The body cannot store excess electrolytes, hence
any added at non-stress times must be excreted in some manner, generally
through sweat or urine.  It simply does not make sense to enter a competition
with these systems primed to dump the very electrolytes the horse needs to
conserve.

Heidi