Gestation Food Restriction and Refeeding Compensate Maternal Energy Status and Alleviate Metabolic Consequences in Juvenile Offspring in a Rabbit Model

Nutritional status during gestation can influence mother and offspring metabolism. Undernutrition in pregnancy affects women in both western and developing countries, and it is associated with a high prevalence of chronic diseases in later life. The present work was conducted in the rabbit model, as a longitudinal study, to examine the effect of food restriction during early and mid-gestation, and re-feeding ad libitum until the end of pregnancy on metabolic status and body reserves of mother and, its association with development and metabolism of fetuses and female offspring to the juvenile stage. Little changes in live body weight (LBW), compensatory feed intake, similar body reserves, and metabolism were observed in dams. Placenta biometry and efficiency were slightly affected, but fetal BW and phenotype were not modified. However, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and hypertriglyceridemia were demonstrated in pre-term fetuses. In the juvenile period, these changes were not evidenced, and a similar pattern of growth and serum metabolic parameters in offspring of food-restricted mothers were found, except in serum aminotransferases levels, which increased. These were associated with higher liver fibrosis. Maternal food restriction in the early and mid-pregnancy followed by re-feeding in our rabbit model established a compensatory energy status in dams and alleviated potential long-term consequences in growth and metabolism in the offspring, even if fetal metabolism was altered.

INTEGRAL ASSESSMENT OF BODY RESERVES IN SKI RACERS DEVELOPING LOCAL REGIONAL MUSCLE ENDURANCE, STATOKINETIC AND HYPOXIA RESISTANCE

Aim. The article aims to assess the body reserves of ski racers who develop local-regional muscle endurance (LRME), statokinetic and hypoxia resistance. Materials and methods. 15–16-year-old highly skilled ski-racers (I, II category, candidates for master of sports) with sports experience of 5–7 years (n = 12) were examined. The following equipment was used to assess athletic fitness and sports performance: T 2100 GE treadmill system, CardioSoft diagnostic system (USA), HYPOXICO Everest Summit II altitude generator (USA), Angio Scan-01 P pulse oximeter sensor (Russia). Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS information processing package. Results. The effect of techniques for developing LRME and hypoxia resistance on sports performance has been established. A generalized ranking of competitive performance is constructed and a regression model is described that establishes the dependence of sports performance on morphofunctional and metabolic statuses. The key indicators of morphofunctional and metabolic statuses were compared in athletes who used the methods for developing LRME and hypoxia resistance. Criteria are established for successful performance in sports reserve training, promising cross-country skiers, the modeling of status indicators with well-established technologies while maintaining the functional and metabolic potential and the level of health. Conclusion. The results of the study showed the effectiveness of combined technologies in sports training and allowed to identify markers of functional and metabolic statuses. The proposed technologies allowed to enhance adaptation and identify status markers. This made it possible to improve performance in the conditions of LRME and statokinetic and hypoxia resistance. Forecasting sports results allows regulating athletic fitness and making timely corrections to ensure successful sports performance.

PSXI-40 Body reserves profile and rearing performance of meat ewes are genetically linked

The objective of this work was to study the relationships between different body reserve (BR) dynamic profiles and ewe rearing performance (PERF) traits in a Romane meat sheep population extensively managed in a rangeland of France. Genetic parameters that link litter weight and lamb BW at lambing and weaning, lamb growth rate at 1, 2 and 3 months after lambing and litter survival from lambing to weaning to different BR profiles that have previously been demonstrated in the same animals are reported. Records from the flock of the INRA La Fage experimental farm were used to generate datasets from 14 lambing years (YR: 2002 to 2015). The datasets involved 1,146, 1,072 and 414 females belonging to 3 parities (PAR: 1, 2 and 3, respectively), with first lambing at 2 ages (AGE: 1 or 2-yr-old), and 4 litter sizes (LS: 1, 2, 3 and 4 lambs born alive). Significant effects on PERF were observed on all fixed variables considered (i.e., YR, AGE, PAR and LS). Similarly, the BW and BCS profiles of the ewes were strongly related to the PERFs across the 3 PARs studied, particularly for the BW profiles in the first cycle (PAR 1). In contrast to litter survival, which showed very low h² values and repeatabilities, the traits of lamb BW at lambing and weaning and litter weights at weaning had moderate h² values ranging from 0.20 to 0.23 and repeatabilities ranging from 0.21 to 0.27. In conclusion, our results show that genetic gains may be possible due to the inclusion of combined BR and PERF traits in sheep selection programs for this breed and warrant further research in other sheep populations.