PSIII-37 Effects of supplemented trace mineral amino acid chelates in working Labrador Retrievers

Trace mineral amino acid chelates (TMAAC) maintain integrity prior to absorption without binding to or interacting with other minerals or chelating compounds. TMAACs are essential as prosthetic groups for activating important enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is needed to rid the body of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. A 19-day trial utilizing 20 Labrador Retrievers (10m/10f) was set up to determine the effects of TMAAC tabs on performance, recovery, and exercise induced inflammatory response. Dogs were sorted into two treatment groups: the TMAAC group received three oral tablets per day and the CON group received none. Body weights were recorded weekly and feed consumption was recorded daily. All dogs participated in an 8.05 km endurance run on Day 18, inducing exercise stress. Blood draws for serum biomarker analyses and gait analyses were performed at baseline (prior to treatment), 1-hour post-run, and 24-hours post-run. A pressure sensing computerized mat (CIR Systems, Inc) was used to evaluate lameness based on temporal spatial gait parameters. Dogs were walked on the mat at each time point to obtain three valid walks for analysis. TMAAC male dogs had similar amounts of SOD at baseline (P = 0.63) but increased 0.38 ng/ml SOD from baseline to Post-1h, while CON males had a 0.46ng/ml significant decrease in SOD (P = 0.002). Positive antioxidant trends favored TMAAC dogs across biomarkers assayed (P = 0.06). Gait lameness scores (GLS) indicated TMAAC males had unbalanced gait at baseline but recovered their normal gait after being on the treatment (P = 0.02). Stride length evaluation found that after treatment, this characteristic remained constant for TMAAC dogs but became uneven Post-24h for CON dogs (P = 0.04). Data collected from this trial indicate some significant exercise recovery improvement in working Labrador Retrievers supplemented with trace mineral amino acid chelates.