I think it is important to have an idea of what optimal nutrition is in a dog. this is obtained by consuming a diet which is has the proper balance of nutrients, which are used as protein building blocks, signaling molecules and energy (fuel for the body).. Like a car, if you feed your vehicle poor quality fuel, you will get poor performance. The body reacts the same way to poor quality nutriton.
Studies comparing diets high in carbohydrates vs those high if fats revealed interesting results. Athletes need a diet which can provide energy due to the increased caloric demand, protein metabolism, and requires the ability to metabolize more oxygen. with increased metablism of oxygen comes increased production of free radicals. All of the above demands a diet with adequate nutrition to handle these demands.
It has been shown that dietary fat is critical to promote fat metabolism and fatty acids in the blood. Dogs fed a higher fat diet were able to mobilize nutrients and promote aerobic metabolism: ie they were able to run longer and recover faster than those fed a high carbohydrate diet. For the canine athlete, fat is a necessary nutrient, above that of carbohydrates.
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