Hay everyone!
I’ve got something pretty special for you today: a Student Spotlight! Today, we’ll be chatting with one of our very own ESC team members, Ms. Amelia Puglia. She has been working with us for the past few years and has been a vital part of our events and research. When she was a senior undergraduate student this past year, she worked on her George H. Cook Honors Thesis project with Dr. McKeever, Dr. Malinowski, and Dr. Herbst. We’re super excited because this work recently got published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science!
You can read the journal article here, and be sure to check out the Paulick Report article about it too!
The article is titled “Calcium propionate is an alkalizing agent in exercising Standardbreds.” All good science starts with a well-defined “research question,” or something that you are wondering about and want to test with an experiment. This title serves as an answer to our research question: is calcium propionate an alkalizing agent in racing Standardbreds? That’s a lot of fancy words! Let’s break it down:
“Calcium propionate”
Calcium propionate is a chemical often found in animal feeds, and its job is to help the feed last longer. It prevents the feed from “going bad” by stopping the growth of mold and bacteria. This is important because these microbes, or the substances they produce, could make animals sick after they eat them.
“Alkalizing agent”
I’m sure many of you have learned about something called “pH” in school. Something that is acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar, has a “low pH.” The middle of the scale is water, which has a “neutral pH” of 7. Something that is basic (or “alkaline”), like bleach or soap, has a “high pH.” This means that an “alkalizing agent” is a substance that makes the pH of something more basic and less acidic. So why does that matter for an exercising horse? When horses exercise, our muscles produce a lot of acidic products. These acidic products build up in the blood and muscles and make running much, much more difficult. If an alkalizing agent is added, that means it will help raise the acidic pH back to normal and the muscles will work optimally again.
“Racing Standardbreds”
Horses used for racing are certainly doing a lot of exercise. Some trainers want to give their horse a competitive edge by helping it run faster and longer. That’s where the alkalizing agents come in, which could give a horse an unfair advantage by artificially improving how well their muscles work. There have been reports of calcium propionate being used in racing for this purpose, so the ESC researchers wanted to put it to the test.
Ms. Puglia with Dr. Malinowski at the recent Evening of Science and Celebration.
Now, I’m sure all of you can’t wait to hear from Ms. Puglia. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to chat with her myself! She is currently a master’s student here at Rutgers and is always helping with our projects at the ESC.
Lord Nelson (LN): Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today, Amelia! It’s great to see you again.
Ms. Amelia Puglia (AP): Good to see you too Lord Nelson!
LN: Let’s jump right in. I wanted to chat with you today about the recently published calcium propionate article. What kind of impact could this work have on the horse industry?
AP: That’s a really good question. This study helps to inform people on the racetrack about the potential effects of using calcium propionate in racehorses. Not only does calcium propionate work as an alkalizing agent, it is also present in many horse feeds and can be given unknowingly. We wanted to examine its effects in a group of horses that are similar to those who might consume it regularly: racing Standardbreds. Now that we see how it impacts their metabolic markers, horse owners can be more informed about this compound impacts their horse.
LN: Did this research spark any new questions for you? Or how do you think this work could be expanded upon?
AP: To expand on this study, there could be research done looking at the potential effects of calcium propionate in horse feed and supplements. Knowing more about how the calcium propionate in horse feed works, as well as the impact of dosage from the consumed feed, could inform the racetrack if horses are being pushed over the threshold due to the feed. We know that horses are tested before they race for the presence of an alkalizing agent. If they meet a certain threshold, it means they were given something to unfairly enhance their performance. It would be cool to understand more about how calcium propionate from feed is metabolized in the body, and if this is a reason for a horse hitting that threshold.
LN: That’s an interesting future direction! One more thing: how did getting involved in research as an undergraduate impact you?
AP: I really enjoyed it, and it was very beneficial for me. I learned so much about the research process from start to finish with this specific project. The Equine Science Center allows students to learn and grow while also fostering a place for them to be independent and thoughtful. Being a part of the Equine Science Center was one of the most beneficial learning experiences I had at Rutgers, not only for the research experience, but also for the life skills it taught me. Being a part of research is very beneficial to any future career in the science field. It gave me the opportunity to learn about the process of research as well as gain experience working with large animals in a research setting. I am very thankful for the experiences the ESC has provided for me!
LN: That’s awesome! I know that Dr. Malinowski is really proud of the hands-on learning opportunities the ESC is able to provide to students. Thanks for sharing, Amelia!
AP: Of course! It was my pleasure.
Ms. Puglia in action with our research horses.
Thanks everyone for tuning into our Student Spotlight this week. Maybe someday, I’ll be interviewing some of you about the research you’re doing with the ESC!
Until next time.
Your friend,
Lord Nelson