Effects of Crude Rice Bran Oil and a Flaxseed Oil Blend in Young Horses Engaged in a Training Program.
Authors: Mowry Kayla C, Thomson-Parker Timber L, Morales Cruz, Fikes Kalley K, Stutts Kyle J, Leatherwood Jessica L, Anderson Mark J, Smith Rachelle X, Suagee-Bedore Jessica K
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Both crude rice bran oil and a flaxseed oil blend showed promise for managing the inflammatory and muscular stress associated with training in young horses, though the effects differed between the two supplements. Over 60 days, researchers substituted 25% of the concentrate calories in lightly worked young horses with either oil type, then assessed plasma markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase) and inflammation (interleukin-1β) before and after an incremental exercise test at multiple timepoints. The flaxseed oil blend demonstrated the most practical benefit, significantly reducing post-exercise creatine kinase elevation at the 30-minute mark on day 30 and effectively suppressing the training-induced inflammatory response observed in control horses by day 60; rice bran oil elevated creatine kinase in the early post-exercise period but similarly blunted the inflammatory response. Beyond these performance markers, the flaxseed treatment substantially increased circulating alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids, though interestingly the control group maintained higher EPA and DHA levels throughout—suggesting endogenous synthesis may partially compensate when plant-based omega-3 precursors aren't supplemented. For practitioners working with young horses in training programmes, incorporating a flaxseed oil blend at this inclusion rate appears to offer measurable benefits in reducing exercise-induced muscle stress and inflammation, making it worth considering as part of a conditioning protocol.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Supplementing young horses in training with a flaxseed oil blend at 25% of concentrate calories may help reduce exercise-induced muscle damage markers and inflammatory response
- •Crude rice bran oil showed less favorable results than flaxseed, with elevated creatine kinase post-exercise, suggesting oil source matters for training horses
- •Consider flaxseed oil supplementation as a practical dietary intervention to support recovery and reduce training-related inflammation in young performance horses
Key Findings
- •Flaxseed oil blend reduced plasma creatine kinase at 30 minutes post-exercise on day 30 compared to baseline (p < 0.05)
- •Crude rice bran oil increased plasma creatine kinase from pre-exercise to 30 minutes post-exercise across all tests (p < 0.05)
- •Both oil treatments reduced interleukin-1β response on day 60 compared to control group (p < 0.01)
- •Flaxseed oil blend significantly increased plasma alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids after 30 days of inclusion (p < 0.05)