Body composition assessment in horses using bioimpedance spectroscopy
Journal of Animal Science
|April 12, 2016
Summary
Bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) is a practical method for assessing equine body composition. While it provides reasonable estimates for total body water and fat-free mass, its accuracy for individual fat mass prediction in horses is limited.
Area of Science:
- Equine science
- Animal physiology
- Body composition analysis
Background:
- Assessing equine body composition is challenging due to animal size and cost.
- Bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) is a human body composition tool needing adaptation for horses.
Purpose of the Study:
- Derive equine-specific resistivity coefficients and body proportion factors (Kb).
- Validate BIS for predicting body composition in horses.
Main Methods:
- Whole body impedance measurements on 35 Standardbred horses.
- Concurrent determination of total body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW) using dilution methods.
- Kb determination in 38 mixed-breed horses.
Main Results:
- Derived mean resistivity coefficients for intracellular water (511.4 ohm.cm) and TBW (1415.9 ohm.cm).
- Established a mean Kb of 1.52 ± 0.1.
- Predicted TBW and fat-free mass with limits of agreement of ± 11.6%.
Conclusions:
- BIS is practical for equine body composition assessment.
- The technique shows potential but has limitations in predicting individual fat mass due to wide agreement limits.
