Quote:
Originally Posted by chadk66
Do you realize horses body weight can fluctuate 3-4% on a near daily basis?
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Who cares?
We are talking about
transient loss of weight in the 4-hour period following lasix administration. Regardless of all other factors, it is undeniable that the horse is shedding a discrete and significant portion of its weight right on top of a race relative to untreated horses.
Meanwhile, despite your ridicule, Jeff P made an important distinction when suggesting there is a difference between weight loss from increased urine output and that from losing or lacking muscle mass. Athletic performance (i.e., physical work) requires muscle. It does not require 20-30 lbs of urine.
In order for muscle to function, energy is required. Depending on the intensity of exercise, this energy is generated mainly from oxygen consumption (i.e., aerobic metabolism). At the point where oxygen consumption exceeds aerobic capacity, energy is produced anaerobically (i.e., without oxygen). Such work produces waste products that promote fatigue (lactic acid).
Simply put, lasix administration causes significant weight loss that
does not affect the aerobic capacity of the animal. With less weight to deal with, there is less demand for anaerobic work which lowers the amount of lactic acid buildup, which in turn delays the onset of fatigue.
On top of that, there are changes to blood pH caused by lasix such that the blood is alkalinized (the same physiological mechanism behind milk shaking). This helps offset lactic acid buildup even more. Therefore lasix imparts a veritable "double whammy" that delays fatigue during athletic performance.
All your arguments regarding malnourishment, clinical dehydration, and the lack of massive move-ups are just more non-starters. It should be a given that we are comparing healthy, well-conditioned horses treated with lasix to healthy, well-conditioned horses not treated with lasix.
Yes, a horse in poor body condition will be uncompetitive; it will not “kick ass”.
Yes, giving lasix to an already dehydrated horse will probably cause more problems, not help them.
And no one suggested that the benefits of lasix (outside of its effects on bleeding) causes a horse to go from middling ability to elite status. But within it’s own class level, many a horse has been seen to transform from an indifferent performer to a win candidate with the addition of lasix. And that’s despite not even being a known bleeder in the first place.
