Default Re: Grainless dod food



AND HERE IN THE LINK OF LINKS CONSIRNING THE VALUE OF CARBS

Feeding the Racing Greyhound

Feeding for Performance

John Kohnke BVSc, RDA

Sydney, Australia

The sport of greyhound racing has become more popular and competitive over recent years, with the breeding and

purchase of finer, sprint bred greyhounds, improved race track geometry and surfaces, which have all helped to lift

the standard of performance. Training methods have changed based on exercise physiology research and with it, the

‘science’ of feeding has provided new guidelines for feeding to optimise performance. It is now even more important

that nutrition is not a limiting factor to performance. A nutritionally adequate and well balanced diet is paramount to

health, performance and adaptation of the greyhound to the physical and metabolic stresses of racing. The racing diet

for successful competitive racing has been refined since lure racing became the industry standard for grading

wagering odds relative to body weight and performance.

Although diets were traditionally based on fresh red meat and cereal meals, with zoonotic disease risks such as BSE

and the rising cost of inspected meat in many countries, there has been a change in the staple diet for racing

greyhounds to scientifically formulated high energy dense compounded dry foods to partly or fully replace meat. As

every trainer is looking for an ‘edge’ in performance to win and an improvement in nutrition can help ensure optimum

speed and competitive racing. Traditionally, both the training and feeding of the racing greyhound has been largely

considered an ‘art’ passed on by older trainers to younger trainers, based on ‘trial and success’ rather than a ‘science’.

Although scientific calculations can provide an estimate of the relative nutritional intake, based on the established

nutritional value of each constituent in the diet, the exact scientific requirements of racing greyhounds have not been

established. Not all trainers are able to purchase the best quality feed as there is a limit to the feeding budget in a

racing kennel. When the price of a certain meat increases, trainers switch to alternatives or feed a larger proportion of

dry feed. Feeding remains one of the areas of animal nutrition still influenced by tradition and folklore, with many

time honoured feeding practices.





The ‘Science’ of Feeding

Over recent years, there have been a number of extensive reviews on the traditional methods of diet composition and

feeding practices of racing greyhounds. A number of reviews of greyhound nutrition and feeding have been published

over the last three decades, summarizing the scientific and practical aspects of dietary needs, ration formulation, and

feeding methods.1-8. Some of the data has been extrapolated from the established nutritional needs of working dogs,

with adaptations to meet the often higher needs of racing greyhounds. The ‘art’ is knowing how much feed, when to

feed, and the likes and dislikes of an individual animal.2. The ‘science’ is understanding the nutritional needs of the

greyhound, the relative value of different feeds and the benefits or disadvantages of individual ingredients or

combinations.2. A racing greyhound needs an adequate intake of energy for maintenance and exercise, which besides

water, is the most important nutrient in a diet and often the one that is limiting to performance.

Nutritional Aims

In addition to maintaining health and vitality, the diet should meet the following criteria:

1. Provide an economical, palatable, low bulk, highly digestible ration to maintain body weight within set limits and

ensure optimal performance. 2, 7, 8.

2. Provide optimal proportions of carbohydrate, protein, fat and fibre to maximize energy density while minimising

gut weight and volume compatible with efficient digestive function. 3, 7.

3. Maintain optimal hydration, electrolyte, anaerobic buffering capacity and fluid balance over a variety of climatic

conditions and racing distances. 3, 6, 7.

4. Ensure energy and nutrient balance to counteract imbalances and inadequate levels in the diet and meet the

specific metabolic demand for performance.2.

5. Provide a diet formulated to counteract physical stress on the musculoskeletal system, ensure adaptation to and

optimal recovery from racing and injury, and maintain the immune response and resistance against disease

under high-stress situations of housing and repeated physical exercise.5.

Feeding the Racing Greyhound for Performance Page 2

Nutritional Aims (cont.)

These aims can be achieved by careful selection of feed ingredients, regular monitoring of body weight, and use of

specific supplements to correct low or inadequate feed levels relative to performance requirements and level of

stress.1-8.