Complexed trace mineral supplementation alters antioxidant activities and expression in response to trailer stress in yearling horses in training

To test the hypothesis that complexed trace mineral supplementation would increase antioxidant capacity and decrease muscle oxidative stress and damage in young horses entering an exercise training program, Quarter Horses (mean +/- SD; 9.7 +/- 0.7 mo) balanced by age, sex, and BW were assigned to receive complexed (CTM; n=8) or inorganic (INORG; n=8) trace minerals at -12 week relative to this study. Blood and muscle samples were collected before (week 0) and after 12 week of light exercise training surrounding a 1.5-h trailer stressor. Muscle glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was higher for CTM than INORG horses (P <= 0.0003) throughout the study. Following both trailer stressors, serum creatine kinase increased (P<0.0001) and remained elevated through 24 h post-trailering (P<0.0001). At week 0, muscle malondialdehyde, expression of superoxide dismutase 2, and whole blood GPx activity increased (P <= 0.003) following trailering but trailering did not affect these measures at week 12. Young horses supplemented with CTM had higher muscle GPx activity than horses receiving INORG, but CTM did not affect damage markers following a stressor. Dietary CTM may be useful for improving antioxidant capacity during exercise training in young equine athletes.

Automated summary

The study found that supplementing young horses with complexed trace minerals can enhance muscle antioxidant capacity, but does not reduce damage caused by exercise-induced stress. This may contribute to improving performance of young horses during exercise training.