“Balanced nutrition for successful reproduction in ruminants”

Proper nutrition is key to maintaining optimal reproductive function in humans and ruminants, given its importance in providing adequate nutrients necessary for reproductive processes. The absence of proper nutrition, whether it is malnutrition or excessive food intake, can have a significant negative impact on reproductive outcomes. You can read more about this in the study “Balanced nutrition for successful reproduction in ruminants”, authored by Chinese experts Jitong Ding, Xinjue Liu, Yueming Guan, Zimu Li, Mengcheng Luo, Duanqin Wu, Lan Ye, Liu Guo.

The Mediterranean diet, known for its balance and nutrition, is recognized as particularly beneficial for human reproduction. This diet includes a high intake of unprocessed plant foods, olive oil and fish, while reducing the intake of red meat, animal fats, sugar and salt. Given that undernutrition and obesity are detrimental to health, including reproductive health, the Mediterranean diet is often recommended to improve the chances of a successful conception and a healthy pregnancy.

When it comes to ruminants, proper nutrition is essential for achieving top reproductive results. The two main approaches to feeding ruminants are grazing and indoor feeding.

Grazing allows ruminants to feed on natural pastures in open environments, while indoor feeding provides controlled feeding conditions. A combination of these two approaches often proves to be an effective strategy for improving the reproductive success of ruminants. While grazing provides natural dietary options, indoor feeding allows precise control of nutrition and can increase productivity.

What does the profession say?

Studies show that undernutrition and overnutrition have significant consequences on reproductive outcomes in humans and ruminants. In 2021, the number of people affected by hunger has reached 828 million, while obesity cases have almost tripled since 1975. These conditions affect reproductive health, and the answer to these challenges includes different dietary strategies, among which the Mediterranean diet stands out.

Organic nutrition is also important for both humans and ruminants. In the human context, prenatal malnutrition is associated with numerous postnatal disorders and can negatively affect fertility. Improved nutrition of the mother is important for the health of the fetus and the reproductive abilities of the offspring. Similar problems occur in ruminants, where nutrition directly affects the health and fertility of animals.

Two types of ruminant malnutrition

Postnatal and pubertal malnutrition significantly affect reproductive abilities, but the literature on this topic is still limited. Rat studies investigate how low nutrition during puberty affects reproductive function. For example, protein restriction during puberty in rats caused the estrus phase to stop, while low nutrition reduced the level of androgen receptors and increased the estrus receptor in rat ovaries. Also, postnatal malnutrition can delay the onset of puberty and negatively affect spermatogenesis in male rats.

Acute malnutrition in adulthood has serious consequences for fertility, recognized especially by the prevalence of amenorrhea and anovulation. A 10%–15% reduction in body weight can cause cessation of the menstrual cycle, which is associated with altered regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and changes in the dopaminergic and opioid systems. In developing countries, amenorrhea and delayed menarche in women are often the result of nutritional deficiencies, while in Western countries anorexia nervosa can lead to similar problems.

Problems and their solutions

Overweight and obesity are on the rise worldwide, and the World Health Organization has declared obesity an epidemic. Obesity has harmful consequences for normal reproductive function, both in women and in men. In women, obesity can interfere with the secretion and balance of hormones, which affects ovarian function and ovulation, reducing the chances of conception.

Obesity is also associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which further increases the risk of infertility. In men, obesity can reduce the quantity, quality and length of sperm telomeres, as well as increase the risk of abnormal sex hormone levels and reduced testicular function. The amount and type of fat in the diet play a key role in sperm quality, with unsaturated fatty acids being more beneficial than saturated.

In ruminant farming, grazing and indoor feeding are key nutritional practices. Grazing allows ruminants to feed on natural pastures, which contributes to the well-being of animals and the preservation of the environment.

On the other hand, indoor feeding provides controlled nutrition and protection from extreme conditions, but can lead to animal health and environmental problems. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of both systems is important for optimizing reproductive performance and sustainability in livestock farming.

Finally, a combination of grazing and indoor feeding may provide the optimal strategy for maximizing ruminant reproduction and overall productivity. Quality forage during grazing improves the reproductive performance of ruminants, while indoor feeding can improve body weight and reproductive performance.

However, overfeeding and obesity can negatively affect the reproductive performance and health of animals. Therefore, effective ruminant nutrition management through a balance between grazing and indoor feeding can contribute to healthier and more reproductively successful ruminant populations.

Source: Wiley online library