Nutrition: the pigeon sport and fatty acids
Posted on 29/07/2018, Author: Pitts
The racing season is in full activity and every fanatic pigeon fancier wants to manage his pigeons with the best possible care. Only in this way we create the most optimal conditions to achieve top performance. Nothing will be left to chance and let us be honest about this, only this is the only good attitude and the key to success.
"Best possible care" is a given that can be interpreted very broadly. You have "good", "better" and "best" but what is good, what is better and what is best? One fact is certain, many pigeon fanciers know that feeding pigeons well is no longer improvisation work. Health and performance are largely influenced by good feed and proper feeding. A well-developed ration is therefore more important than ever to be able to train and perform optimally.
Balance and variation in food have always been important elements. But it goes without saying that pigeons that have to train and perform intensively have different needs than pigeons that only stay in aviaries. And depending on the circumstances, a lot of training, little training, short races, long races, ... these needs will also differ from each other. In order to create as high as efficient return as possible, the food has to be tuned time and again to the training and planned competition schedules. However, there are always some basic rules that we can’t just ignore.
Important elements in this are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, fatty acids, anti-oxidants and raw fibers. Constant scientific studies and tests are being carried out that irreversibly demonstrate the performance-enhancing effects. The right elements at the right time can mean a world of difference.
A very important component in the diet of our top athletes are the fatty acids. They are the most important fuel on the road but also have an essential value for good health. Even more important is to provide the right fatty acids in the right proportions. Luckily, this has recently been the subject of very intensive scientific research, which in turn is ameliorating the current pigeon feeds.
Our pigeons do not fly faster. They will be able to fly for a longer period of time and what is especially important, they will build up a better resistance, which will also make them much more healthy. What is the first and absolutely fundamental condition to the building of condition and form. The summit will not be reached with a sportsman who is not of good health and does not take care when it comes to nutrition. Energy that is used to keep the body healthy is wasted energy, so to speak. To clarify, pigeons with an orgamism that is constantly struggling to stay healthy can never build the right form and condition to perform at a consistently high level. The recovery after training and the flight is less good and then they quickly end up in a degenerative spiral.
Types of fats
We have different types of fats that each have different functions and properties. We have saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The unsaturated fatty acids can then be subdivided into the mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids. Depending on where the first unsaturated bond is located, we speak of omega-3, omega-6 or omega-9 fatty acids, respectively. There are short, medium and long fatty acid chains. The length is determined by the number of carbon atoms. What is important to us is that depending on the length of these fatty acid chains, they will burn faster or slower and they will be processed and used differently by the body. Also important for us and in this case is that omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids. Which means that the body can not make them yourself and we will therefore have to ensure that our pigeons get enough of it through their food. Most mixtures that are well-composed usually also have a good omega 3-6 ratio that can also be optimized with the right by-products. Products such as Omega Plus 3-6-9 from Cédé, Omega Plus from Herbots, Omega 3 Lecithine Oil from Brockamp, Omega Gold Oil from DHP, ... these ensure that the energy source of your pigeons will be maximally created. Furthermore, they have an anti-inflammatory and body-supporting effect. The development of the pigeon brains will be stimulated and there will be a favorable effect on the heart and blood vessels. Fertility will be promoted and young pigeons will develop positively. All these products are freely available and can be found in the Pitts webshop.
It is important for us to know that longer fatty acid chains are more difficult to burn and the medium chain fatty acids than to provide our pigeons with energy. Another difference is that a relatively large proportion of those long fatty acid chains, which ultimately have to serve as energy and fuel for the muscle, have to be transported by carnitine. The stock of carnitine is limited and can be added but that is a completely different story. Long chain fatty acids are usually also partially stored as body fat, which means extra weight for which our pigeons are a disadvantage.
Due to the fact that pigeons are herbivores, they are limited in the intake of animal fats. In addition, animal fats mainly contain saturated fatty acids. Apart from the fact that they are hardly absorbed, they can even fly away from intensive training and frequent competitions but are hardly and hardly spent as fuel. Mainly these are stored as body fat that is known to be not the most efficient fuel. It does not matter what kind of fats, they can only be taken up in a limited way by our pigeons. Mixes with a higher fat percentage than +/- 15% are not relevant at all. A too high percentage of fat also entails a relatively high protein content and will in the short term become stressful for the organism and the optimal performance. Traps and high sources of omega-6 fatty acids that are processed in the pigeon feed include cari and sunflower seeds. These should be available to a limited extent in the mixtures because we also need these essential fatty acids. If we were to make the comparison, these would be for people at too high doses such as fast food. All the more reason to add these ingredients to the mix with reason to create the right balance. The mixtures with peeled seeds or grains then also need extra care. The disadvantage of this is that they are particularly sensitive to spoilage. The absence of the protective casing ensures that these grains and seeds become much more sensitive to pests and that the highly present fat oxidizes relatively easily. Fault that is made here by many pigeon fanciers is to put the food in the loft where a humid alternating with warm climate reigns. This ensures that the feed will soon become rancid. Especially if it is also packed in plastic bags. What then quickly goes wrong when it comes to performing.
In concrete terms, we can summarize the following points.
• In a mixture, we must try to have the omega-3 fatty acids prime. They provide better health and resistance and are an excellent source of energy.
• We try to limit omega-6 fatty acids as much as possible. Adequate as an energy source or fuel but an absolute "no-go" for health. An excess will mainly cause inflammation.
• We will have to ensure that we do not use energy mixes whose raw fat percentage is higher than +/- 15%. Due to the lack of a gall bladder higher admissions for our pigeons are not digestible. The most favorable omega-3 and omega-6 ratio will also only be disrupted by higher percentages.
• We must also avoid animal fats due to saturated fatty acids and barely be absorbed by our pigeons.
• We then ensure that we use a correct composition of extra fatty acids in the right proportions in the form of oils (eg flaxseed oil, ...). Not only will it improve the absorption of fat, but it will also ensure that we receive as much energy as possible and as efficiently as possible. Also the omega-3 and omega-6 ratio will be optimized with it.
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