I 'heart' Pete Ramey... everyone should read!

[Mike007]

Fair enough, but from what I can find, it is a relatively small proportion of the total NSC that is used by the bacteria of the earlier part of the digestive tract (about 30% was the figure given), so there is still a large proportion being absorbed directly as glucose.

It is very dificult to determine ,how much . perhaps your figures are correct,but there are so many variables ,in particular once we disturb the system to carry out an experiment we alter the gut conditions . The methods required are pretty invasive .The one thing we can be certain of is that the traditional model of how the equine gut works fails to take into account some very significant levels of microbial activity much earlier in the digestive proces than was previously believed. It is a fascinating subject

 

[amandap]

Am I wrong but aren't sugars created by bacteria a by product and not used by them? What are the bacteria using themselves? I've got muddled on this point now I'm afraid.

 

[soloequestrian]

It is very dificult to determine ,how much . perhaps your figures are correct,but there are so many variables ,in particular once we disturb the system to carry out an experiment we alter the gut conditions . The methods required are pretty invasive .The one thing we can be certain of is that the traditional model of how the equine gut works fails to take into account some very significant levels of microbial activity much earlier in the digestive proces than was previously believed. It is a fascinating subject

I can see how measuring bacterial levels would have to be invasive, but surely measuring glucose uptake by the horse is easy enough - you would just have to blood sample after feeding....

Amanda - glucose is the preferred fuel for just about every organism - bacteria use it the same way as we do except that in the gut they are working without oxygen so rather than producing CO2 and water as we do, they produce lactate and other VFA's - we do this in muscle if we are exercising so hard that we can't get oxygen to the area fast enough.

 

[amandap]

Amanda - glucose is the preferred fuel for just about every organism - bacteria use it the same way as we do except that in the gut they are working without oxygen so rather than producing CO2 and water as we do, they produce lactate and other VFA's - we do this in muscle if we are exercising so hard that we can't get oxygen to the area fast enough.

Thanks for taking the trouble to explain that.

 

[arigatou]

I bet Pete got his figures, and from others who do the research and facts groove. I think of him, he did not spray any old junk or a full C + + K, you put it.