ELECTROLYTES AND MUSCLE ENZYMES IN TOCOPHEROL ACETATE AND SELENIUM SUPPLEMENTED HORSES SUBMITTED TO PROLONGED EXERCISE

Abstract

Biochemical profiles are important tools to evaluate many organic functions and abnormalities that can cause poor performance in the athletic horse. They are performed by a low cost; provide a simple and efficient guide for the evaluation of the health state and performance of the horses. Vitamin E (tocopherol acetate) and selenium are essentials to many organic functions such as growing, reproduction, immune function and the tissue integrity maintenance. These nutrient’s deficiencies can cause alterations and degeneration in tissues. This paper has detected the values of the muscle enzymes AST, LDH and CK and of the electrolytes sodium, potassium, calcium and chloride in healthy horses submitted to prolonged exercise, before and after the supplementation with vitamin E and selenium. Blood samples were collected from 10 healthy horses, male and female, between 96 and 192 months of age, before and after a 32 km ride. Then, all horses were treated weekly, during four weeks, with 10mL of a supplement containing vitamin E and selenium for each animal. One week after the last treatment, horses were submitted to the same exercise, with new biochemical measurements before and after exercise. It was possible to observe an improvement on the mean values of LDH, calcium and chloride and a worsening on the mean values of CK, AST, sodium and potassium. Vitamin E and selenium supplementation apparently did not minimize the muscle lesion effect caused by intense physical exercise.