Specific breed brochure - Breed Nutrition

Objective #2: facilitating
the use of fatty acids
through L-carnitine
L-carnitine is the only substance that can
transport long-chain fatty acids to the
mitochondria*, where they are oxidised
to produce energy. L-carnitine is synthesised
in the liver but the more active the
dog, the greater the risk that this process
will be restricted.
When the content is increased in the food
(700 IU/kg in Rottweiler 26), the
serum L-carnitine concentration will
return to normal much faster. L-carnitine
is traditionally used in slimming diets to
accelerate weight loss while preserving
lean mass (Allen, 1998).
Objective #3: providing sufficient calories
to cover expended energy
A high fat diet (20% in Rottweiler 26) helps spare the glycogen* reserves in the muscles as their
exhaustion corresponds to the appearance of signs of fatigue in dogs (Grandjean, 1983).
A diet rich in fats improves a dog’s sporting performance in endurance (Reynolds, 1998) and
speed disciplines (Hill et al, 2000). It increases the maximum amount of oxygen – VO2 max* –
that the body is able to use (Reynolds and Taylor, 1996).
It is important to maintain a good balance between omega 6 and omega 3 unsaturated fatty acids
through an intelligent mix of fat sources (animal fat, fish oil, soy oil and copra). Copra provides
short-chain fatty acids, which are not well incorporated into fat tissue and do not require the presence
of L-carnitine to provide energy to the muscle cells.
% mitochondrial
volume/muscle fibre
20
15
10
5
0
Impact of fat content in the diet
on the capacity of the muscle cells
to produce energy from fatty acids
Study on dogs trained for three months and fed with each of the diets
before measurement (Reynolds & Taylor, 1996)
19
11,59
+ 37 %
15,97
High carbohydrate diet* High lipid diet**
* Carbohydrates
represent 65%
of metabolisable
energy
**Lipids represent
65% of
metabolisable
energy
The mitochondrial volume is a manifestation of the cell’s ability to oxidise fatty acids to
produce energy. A high fat diet improves the body’s ability to burn fat. When a
carbohydrate-rich diet is imposed there is a return to initial values.