Ranvet's Racing Oil is high-energy blend of Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids which has been specifically formulated for high performance horses.
Ranvet's RACING OIL supplies a palatable supplementary source of ENERGY with Linolenic (Omega 3) and Linoleic (Omega 6) fatty acids, and is indicated where dietary levels may be low. Each litre provides 33.1 MK digestible energy.
The naturally balanced diet should contain these essential fatty acids in a optimal ratio of 3:2 (Linoleic acid : alpha-Linolenic acid).
ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID (OMEGA 3 FATTY ACID) – a double unsaturated fatty acid with double bond, three carbon atoms from the end of the long molecule. Two main components are (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]).
Precursor for gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA) synthesis.
Ranvet’s Racing Oil is a high energy blend of essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids specifically balanced and formulated for performance horses.
Most horse owners feed some form of dietary fat to their horses. This may be vegetable oils such as corn, soyabean, sunflower or canola oil, or commercial high fat feeds and supplements. The horse is evolved to utilise fats in the diet as an energy source, and fats typically contain 2.5 times the amount of energy as an equivalent weight of starch. Even normal pasture diets contain 1-4% fat, and oats diets will provide about 5% fat. Horses can tolerate high levels of fat in their diet.
A high fat diet provides several benefits for athletic performance:
1. Fat increases the energy density of the diet, allowing the horse to consume more dietary energy without a proportionate increase in feed intake. This is also accomplished by increasing grain and decreasing forage intake. However, decreasing forage intake decreases water, electrolytes and energy-supplying nutrients in the intestinal tract; these are beneficial for endurance. In addition, more than 40 to 60% of the weight of the diet as grain increases the risk of colic, founder, diarrhoea, exertional myopathy and stable vices.
2. Fat decreases the amount of energy used for heat production which (a) decreases the horse’s heat load and (b) increases the amount of energy available for physical activity and glycogen storage. In one study, the addition of fat to a horse’s diet decreased the horse’s total heat production by 14% and had no effect on the amount of energy needed for maintenance, thus leaving more energy available for physical activity or for body energy storage in the form of glycogen of fat (Scott et al., 1993). As a result, even though their energy intake was unchanged, over 60% more energy was available for use. If this additional energy wasn’t needed, that much less feed would need to be consumed. This was shown by a decrease in the amount of dietary energy needed for maintenance of body weight in exercising horses when a high-fat diet was fed, regardless of the animals’ body condition or the ambient temperature (Potter et al., 1990)
3. A high fat diet not only decreases the amount of diet and the amount of energy that needs to be consumed, but if fed for a sufficient period of time, will increase muscle glycogen content (Lewis, 1995).
4. Horses fed a high-fat diet also appeared to have greater muscle glycogen utilisation and no change in their blood glucose concentration during anaerobic (sprint-type) activity, whereas during aerobic (sub-maximal, long duration) activity, there was less decrease in their blood glucose concentration and there was muscle glycogen sparing (Oldham et al., 1990). Muscle glycogen sparing isn’t necessary or desirable for anaerobic activity because with anaerobic activity, glucose and glycogen are the primary substrates for energy production, whereas with aerobic activity, glycogen sparing helps delay fatigue (Lewis, 1995).
As a result of these effects, high-fat diets have been shown to enhance both aerobic and anaerobic performance activities and to delay fatigue. A high fat diet appeared to be better than either a high starch or a high protein diet for both high speed or moderate speed exercise (Pagan et al., 1987). Researchers have found that horses fed high-fat diets ran faster at a constant heart rate (McMiken, 1986, Oldham et al., 1990), and faster before their plasma lactate concentrations began to increase sharply and reached 4 mM/L, than did horses fed non-fat supplemented diets. When Thoroughbred horses were fed a fat-supplemented diet, 14 of 15 had faster race times, and when in moderate or moderately high body fat condition, utilised significantly more glycogen than when in moderately low body fat condition (Harkins et al., 1992, Scott et al., 1992).
In addition to anaerobic activity, increased muscle glycogen in horses fed high fat diets has also been shown to be effectively utilised for aerobic or endurance-type activity. Horses fed a diet with 10.5% added fat were able to trot for about 35 minutes before their heart rate reached 160/min; whereas this heart rate was reached after only 20 minutes in horses fed a diet with no added fat (Rich, 1988). Cutting horses fed high-fat diets were found to work harder than those fed a conventional diet (Pagan et al., 1987). Complete metabolic adaptation to a high fat diet has been shown to be achieved in 11 weeks, but not 6 weeks (Custalow et al., 1993).
Other functions of fat in the diet include:
• Providing and assisting the absorption of the essential fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K contained in the feed or added to the diet in a supplement
• Supplying essential fatty acids for stability and protection of cell membranes and health of the skin
• Reducing gut fill
• Supplying metabolic water during metabolism
• Reducing dust in feed
• Improving palatability of the ration (Kohnke et al., 1999)
Each oil or fat has a blend of different fatty acids (Omega-3, Omega-6) in its triglyceride content and a correct ratio of these is essential. Once in the body, these Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids are transformed into highly potent regulators of a wide range of vital body processes, including blood clotting, inflammation and immune response. Grain products are high in Omega-6 fats, whereas grasses and hay forages are high in Omega-3’s.
Different oils have different Omega-3 contents: Linseed and fish oils have highest content, but are less palatable. Canola oil is palatable with a good Omega-3:6 balance. Corn oil is very widely utilised but is low in Omega-3 and high in Omega-6. Oils high in Omega-6 fatty acids are the best for coat conditioning (corn, sunflower and safflower oils). Ranvet’s Racing Oil provides both these essential fatty acids at the optimum ratio for health and performance. Racing Oil also contains a fatty known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which has been shown to have a wide range of positive effects on sperm production and function including sperm concentration within an ejaculate (Brinsko et al., 2005).
The authors of this study also made the comment that more dramatic improvements in semen quality may be observed if modifications in the main fat content of the diet are incorporated with the DHA supplement.
While increasing immediately available energy for performance is a major role, Ranvet’s Racing Oil provides a carefully balanced blend of Omega-3 and 6 essential fatty acids designed to improve body function by maximising immune responses (which are often suppressed in hard working horses), reducing inflammation and muscle damage during exercise, improving muscle and joint / connective tissue recovery and repair, and maintaining cell membrane function for efficient oxygen, electrolyte and lactic acid transfer in and out of cells. Oils should be introduced slowly into the diet (suggest 40 ml increments at 3-4 day intervals) and should be stored in a cool place.