SPORTS MEDICINE
For Race Horses, Hold the ‘Milkshakes’ B y
A d a m
M a r c u s
ban them, but some trainers continue to administer sodium bicarbonate “milkshakes” to their animals in the hopes that the concoction will improve performance on the track. It doesn’t. A new study by researchers in Australia shows that administration of sodium bicarbonate—either through a nasogastric tube or as an oral paste—did not improve, and might even harm, equine performance. Although sodium bicarbonate has been touted as a performance enhancer in both people and animals for several decades, the data supporting its effectiveness are scarce. Many racing bodies forbid the use of the substance within 24 hours of an event; however, some trainers continue to give horses “milkshakes” against the rules. Although sodium bicarbonate is generally safe, nasogastric administration carries risks, such as gastrointestinal distress and damage to the throat from the tube. In some cases, animals have died after trainers inadvertently piped the solution into the lungs instead of the stomach. The new study, which appeared in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Medicine, was a systematic review and meta-analysis of previously published research. Joshua Denham, PhD, MA, of the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, in Melbourne, and Adam Hulme, PhD, of the University of the Sunshine Coast, in Maroochydore DC, screened the scientific literature for studies of sodium bicarbonate for performance enhancement. They identified 7 that looked at the use of the substance in 74 horses that had undergone exercise trials—including treadmill tests and simulated track work. Six studies analyzed the “milkshake” and 1 an oral paste. Not only did sodium bicarbonate fail to improve
For more information: Denham J, Hulme A. A systematic review and meta-analysis on sodium bicarbonate administration and equine running performance: Is it time to stop horsing around with baking soda? J Equine Vet Sci. 95 (2020) 103281 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080620303725 10
Issue 11/2020 | ModernEquineVet.com
performance, according to the researchers, the metaanalysis pointed to “a very small negative effect of sodium bicarbonate on running performance.” “It would be great to see vets educate others about our recent findings and for some to reconsider the use of sodium bicarbonate on race day,” Dr. Denham told Modern Equine Vet. “Why perform a stressful procedure if it does not improve exercise performance and is a banned practice on race day? We know from human athletes that psychological stress hinders performance and increases the risk of injuries.” Dr. Denham added that, “although potentially clutching at straws,” researchers might tweak future studies of sodium bicarbonate. “For instance, the use of timing gates for quantifying simulated race times rather than hand-held stop watches. They could control for other potential confounding variables such as fluid intake, anthropometrics, diets, etc., and determine whether timing or dosage plays any role. I'm not convinced it will change the results, but there are limitations that could be addressed in future work.” From his perspective, however, the results speak for themselves: “There are moral, legal and scientific reasons for not administering sodium bicarbonate to racehorses on race day.” MeV
Shutterstock/Stefan Holm
Horses might not like them, and racing bodies
