Bridger Sparks: Parity Effects on Cows' Metabolic Health | Ep. 44

In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Bridger Sparks, PhD candidate at Texas Tech University, explains how adipose tissue innervation influences lipid mobilization and metabolic health in dairy cows. He discusses parity effects, catecholamine regulation, and links to ketosis and transition disorders. Bridger highlights future strategies for breeding and biomarker development. Listen now on all major platforms! "Excessive lipid mobilization creates significant metabolic stress, increasing the likelihood of disorders that impact productivity, reproduction, and overall efficiency within modern dairy systems." Meet the guest: Bridger Sparks https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsparks4/ is a PhD candidate in Animal Science at Texas Tech University, focusing on how adipose tissue innervation affects metabolic health in dairy cows. His work integrates neurobiology and physiology to study transition period challenges, with publications in the Journal of Dairy Science and recognition from ADSA. Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love! https://www.wisenetix.com/dairyhealthblackbelt What you will learn: (00:00) Highlight (00:56) Introduction (01:51) Research motivation (02:31) Lipolysis control (03:59) Why it matters (05:00) Parity effects (06:01) Enzyme pathways (10:45) Closing thoughts 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺. Website: https://dairyhealthblackbelt.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dairycampus/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dairycampus/