January 2002

Mix A Sports Drink For Your Horse

A “sports drink” of carbohydrates and BCAAs or creatine may give your horse a competitive edge conditioning alone won’t produce.

A sports drink may give a horse an advantage ûwhen he’s under heavy stress, like racing.

From Gatorade to those sophisticated-sounding concoctions sold in health-food stores, sports drinks for human athletes are everywhere. These drinks maintain the body’s hydration level and provide essential nutrients, like electrolytes and energy sources, which then boost endurance and strength during physical exertion—just what we want to do for our horses.

And they’re “drinks” for good reason: Delivering nutrients with water is the most efficient route of replacement. The carbohydrates and glucose in solid food, like candy, just aren’t as effective. Nutrients in water pass right through the stomach and into the small intestine for immediate absorption, even if the stomach already contains food. No waiting period. …