Effect of long-term oral administration of a low dosage of clenbuterol on body fat percentage in working and nonworking adult horses
- Autores: Rose D. Nolen Walston, Caitlin M. Moore, Ciara A. Barr, Joy E. Tomlinson, Raymond C. Boston, Lawrence R. Soma
- Localización: American Journal of Veterinary Research, ISSN-e 1943-5681, ISSN 0002-9645, Vol. 76, Nº. 5, 2015, págs. 460-466
- Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
OBJECTIVE To determine the anabolic and lipolytic effects of a low dosage of clenbuterol administered orally in working and nonworking equids.
ANIMALS 8 nonworking horses and 47 polo ponies in active training.
PROCEDURES Each polo pony continued training and received either clenbuterol (0.8 μg/kg) or an equal volume of corn syrup (placebo) orally twice daily for 21 days, and then was evaluated for another 21-day period. Nonworking horses received clenbuterol or placebo at the same dosage for 21 days in a crossover trial (2 treatments/horse). For working and nonworking horses, percentage body fat (PBF) was estimated before treatment and then 2 and 3 times/wk, respectively. Body weight was measured at intervals.
RESULTS Full data sets were not available for 8 working horses. For working horses, a significant treatment effect of clenbuterol was detected by day 3 and continued through the last day of treatment; at day 21, the mean change in PBF from baseline following clenbuterol or placebo treatment was −0.80% (representing a 12% decrease in PBF) and −0.32%, respectively. By day 32 through 42 (without treatment), PBF change did not differ between groups. When treated with clenbuterol, the nonworking horses had a similar mean change in PBF from baseline from day 6 onward, which peaked at −0.75% on day 18 (an 8% decrease in PBF). Time and treatment had no significant effect on body weight in either experiment.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Among the study equids, long-term low-dose clenbuterol administration resulted in significant decreases in body fat with no loss in body weight.
