Lactanase 100 mg/ml Dosages & Usage
Horse owners and managers commonly report muscular fatigue of horses. Muscular fatigue can be caused by numerous disorders of several body systems, or it can be a function of (or a normal consequence of) prolonged exercise. The decreased ability of muscles to produce force is actually a safety mechanism for the body. If fatigue did not occur and force the animal to stop, the intense exercise could cause structural damage to muscle cells and supportive tissues.1
When a horse becomes fatigued, it is generally unable or unwilling to maintain the same speed as a training treadmill; on the trail or track, the horse will simply slow its gait. Changes in the gait and joint movements can be seen, and these changes may be an important factor contributing to musculoskeletal injuries of race horses. Because of these changes, performance horses should never be worked to a state of fatigue.
Whether or not a horse will become fatigued largely depends on the duration and energy demands of the exercise or event. For performance horses, endurance events can last hours or days. Races involving Quarter Horses, Standardbreds, and Thoroughbreds typically require intense exercise at maximal speeds lasting for several minutes. In general terms, exercise at an individual animal’s highest attainable speed cannot be maintained for more than about 30 to 40 seconds.1 After that time, fatigue begins to set in, and the animal slows down.
During exercise, heat is generated within the body, which the body tries to ameliorate through sweating. Ultimately, this can result in dehydration and metabolic problems, which are often causal factors cited in the fatigue, exhaustion, and even death that can occur after prolonged exercise in horses. Environmental temperature and humidity also have a major impact on the degree of disturbance to body fluids during prolonged exercise.1
The Effects of Exercise on Horses
A commonly held belief is that lactate production during exercise limits a horse’s performance due to fatigue.2 Training work and performance horses for optimal energy and endurance is critical to ensuring the horse's ability to work, be competitive, weather competitions well and recover quickly. During exercise, horses experience rapid catabolism of carbohydrate, which can cause lactic acid build-up and a reduction in muscle pH that interferes with maximum performance.
Physical exercise is typically classified as being either aerobic (where oxygen is present for metabolism), or anaerobic (where there is insufficient oxygen for metabolism). One way to better understand the two concepts is to consider the exertion level of a horse that walks a quarter mile versus the same horse running the same distance. In the second example, running that quarter mile will leave the horse breathing very hard—in an anaerobic or oxygen-deficient state.
In both instances, energy was required, but the source of energy and metabolic pathway was different in each instance. Ultimately the same energy-supplying molecule (adenosine triphosphate, or ATP), was formed and supplied energy to the muscles. The first case (walking), however, resulted in an aerobic metabolism in which carbohydrates, proteins and fats could be used as energy sources, with water and CO2 as the end products. In the second case (running), anaerobic conditions were brought about; glucose or glycogens were the energy sources with lactic acid being produced as the end product. Anaerobic metabolism can supply energy (ATP) for short duration exercise, but the accompanying deficiency in glucose or glycogen combined with the accumulation of lactic acid results in fatigue or exhaustion.
Cardiovascular conditioning via physical exercise is the primary means to improve physical stamina and prolong the time to exhaustion in both humans and equines. The literature suggests that horses enter their anaerobic threshold when their heart rate rises above 150 beats per minute. “At this level, lactic acid begins to accumulate faster than it can be removed. Heart rates above 200 lead to rapid fatigue. Fatigue is a combination of loss of energy/oxygen supply in addition to an increase in the accumulation of waste products in the cell, e.g. lactic acid. Lactic acid lowers the pH in the cell and inhibits energy production required for muscular contraction. This is probably one reason horses seem to ‘slow down’ at the end of a race.”2
Race horses and other performance horses are trained and conditioned for specific activities on strict schedules in order to maximize their stamina and energy consumption. Horses competing in speed or power events (racing, show jumping, cutting) more often employ anaerobic pathways than horses participating in sub-maximal exercise, e.g. endurance riding.2 For horses that are exercised regularly but not trained daily, the impact of anaerobic metabolism is intensified, with fatigue occurring more quickly and lactic acid buildup coming on faster.
Lactanase for Performance Horses
Many supplements for have been developed to counter these effects and produce better performance in horses that work for a living. To properly utilize energy anaerobically or aerobically, sufficient quantities of vitamins are required in the horse’s diet. These should include B-vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. Oxidative stress is also heightened in horses with increased exercise, so good antioxidants are required to help remove free radicals.2 Many owners and managers of performance horses use a wider array of supplements to help meet the nutritional as well as physiological needs of their horses.
Lactanase is a horse supplement that was developed specifically to address the metabolic and energy needs of performance horses. Lactanase enables the release of energy from both carbohydrates and fats, which in turn helps to support optimal muscle function and metabolism in competition horses.
Lactanase’s active ingredients include
- Sodium Acetate 71.54 mg/mL
- Calcium Chloride 2.65 mg/mL
- Magnesium Chloride 2.84 mg/mL
- Potassium Chloride 4.46 mg/mL
- Dextrose 50 mg/mL
Suggested Dosing: 1-2 mL / 100 LB
Lactanase helps support optimal energy release and muscle function in all classes of horses, but is widely used for performance horses. Lactanase supplies nutrients important for the formation of acetyl coenzyme A in the horse's body (Acetyl coenzyme A is the gateway to the Krebs cycle, where the release of cellular energy takes place).
Lactanase has a supportive effect against muscle stiffness as a result of long periods in transportation. It also decreases the LDH factor, a muscle enzyme that is released when horses have to stand still for longer than a few hours after exertion. Thus, it is particularly useful during transportation. Lactanase has absolutely no stimulating or energizing effect, so there is no danger of disqualification when used in sanctioned events.
1Munsterman, A. Fatigue and Exercise in Horses. In: Merck Veterinary Manual, Oct 2019.
2Wallace, S. & Rankins, Ellen & McKeever, Kenneth. (2020). Effects of Lactanase on the plasma lactate response to intense exercise in horses. Comparative Exercise Physiology. 16. 1-6. 10.3920/CEP200007.
About NexGen Pharmaceuticals
NexGen Pharmaceuticals is an industry-leading veterinary compounding pharmacy, offering sterile and non-sterile compounding services nationwide. Unlike other veterinary compounding pharmacies, NexGen focuses on drugs that are difficult to find or are no longer available due to manufacturer discontinuance or have yet to be offered commercially for veterinary applications, but which still serve a critical need for our customers. We also specialize in wildlife pharmaceuticals, including sedatives and their antagonists, offering many unique options to serve a wide array of zoo animal and wildlife immobilization and anesthesia requirements.
Our pharmacists are also encouraged to develop strong working relationships with our veterinarians in order to better care for veterinary patients. Such relationships foster an ever-increasing knowledge base upon which pharmacists and veterinarians can draw, making both significantly more effective in their professional roles.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this blog post is general in nature and is intended for use as an informational aid. It does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, or interactions of the medications shown, nor is the information intended as medical advice or diagnosis for individual health problems or for making an evaluation as to the risks and benefits of using a particular medication. You should consult your veterinarian about diagnosis and treatment of any health problems. Information and statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"), nor has the FDA approved the medications to diagnose, cure or prevent disease. Medications compounded by NexGen Pharmaceuticals are prepared at the direction of a veterinarian. NexGen Pharmaceuticals compounded veterinary preparations are not intended for use in food and food-producing animals.
NexGen Pharmaceuticals, LLC does not recommend, endorse or make any representation about the efficacy, appropriateness or suitability of any specific dosing, products, procedures, treatments, services, opinions, veterinary care providers or other information that may be contained in this blog post. NEXGEN PHARMACEUTICALS, LLC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE NOR LIABLE FOR ANY ADVICE, COURSE OF TREATMENT, DIAGNOSIS OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION, SERVICES OR PRODUCTS THAT YOU OBTAIN THROUGH THIS BLOG POST.