Forage vs. concentrate – effects on insulin response
This study examined the impact of the diet on insulin response at feeding and during a 12 fast in trotters in training. A diet consisting of only energy rich forage (haylage) was compared to a 50:50 forage:oats diet. The same haylage was used for the two diets and bots diets covered the maintenance requirements × 2 and were supplemented with minerals and salt. The haylage diet implied an intake of 151 g sugar and 12 g starch per 100 kg body weight (BW) and day. The haylage:oats diet implied an intake of 100 g sugar and 341 g starch per 100 kg BW and day.
The concentration of insulin in plasma was lower before and after feeding when the horses were on the haylage diet compared to the haylage:oats diet. Also during the first 5 hours of fasting the plasma insulin was significantly lower on the forage only diet (Figure 1). The insulin concentration remained almost unchanged before and after feeding and during the fast on the haylage diet whilst it was higher before and increased after feeding on the haylage:oats diet.
A diet consisting of only forage does not imply the same increase in the plasma insulin concentration as a diet where starch rich concentrate is included. Read more about differences between starch and sugar here.
Sara Muhonen, AgrD
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