February 08, 2026

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“It is not a supplement, but an essential link between nutrition, the gut, the nervous system, and performance.”

In racing pigeons, everything revolves around energy – mainly from sugars during the first phase of the flight and from fats over long distances. Vitamin B₁ (thiamine) is an absolute key player in this process. Comed states that it is the most underestimated vitamin in the sport pigeon, because vitamin B₁ is crucial for the release of energy from both sugars and fats. Without sufficient B₁, sugars accumulate as lactic acid (fatigue, pain) and fat metabolism falters (faster exhaustion during marathon flights).

Our racing pigeons require, relative to their body weight, 150 times more B₁ than humans! A young pigeon already needs 5 mg per kg of feed, but during the season this can rise to as much as 25 mg/kg – a level that cannot be achieved with standard feed alone.

The racing pigeon as a “high-revving” metabolic system

The racing pigeon is an extreme endurance athlete. During flight, return, and recovery, it continuously switches between carbohydrate combustion (fast energy), fat combustion (long-lasting energy), and neuromuscular coordination (orientation, balance, landing).

Vitamin B₁ forms the fundamental enzymatic key in this process. Without B₁, carbohydrates and fatty acids cannot be fully converted into ATP.

The engine is running, but it does not “fully engage”.

B₁ as the link between feed and energy

Thiamine is indispensable for:

• the conversion of glucose as the central fuel supplier for the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) in the mitochondria (cellular “power plants”), where it is converted into energy (ATP);
• preventing muscle acidification;
• the release of energy in muscle cells;
• proper functioning of the nervous system.

In the case of a vitamin B₁ deficiency: rapid acidification, reduced training efficiency, increased muscle fatigue, and disturbed nerve conduction (orientation/coordination).

A B₁ deficiency often becomes apparent in pigeons within approximately ±10 days.

Gut, transit, and vulnerability

The pigeon has a short intestine and rapid transit, with limited endogenous (internal) production of B₁ (even with the help of the microbiome = beneficial gut bacteria).

It is therefore completely dependent on regular intake via feed and on good intestinal health.

Any disturbance – coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, worm burden, stress, wet droppings – leads to

reduced absorption → less energy.

This makes B₁ not a luxury, but a structural necessity.

Clinical picture in context

A vitamin B₁ deficiency does not initially present in a spectacular way, but rather subtly:

• “They want to, but they can’t”
• Training motivation without real power
• Slow recovery
• Mild coordination disorders

Only later: weight loss, muscle weakness, unsteady gait, polyneuritis.

Competition period: exponential demand

During competitions, carbohydrate consumption increases, fat mobilisation is maximal, and neuromuscular coordination is pushed to its limits.

The vitamin B₁ requirement peaks at approximately ±25 mg/kg of feed. It is not that B₁ stimulates performance; rather, it determines energy efficiency.

Without sufficient vitamin B₁, glucose functions incompletely as a fuel, lactate accumulates more rapidly, and recovery is delayed.

Vitamin B₁ in the broader nutrient network

• B₁ never works alone. It is functionally connected with:
• B₂, B₃, B₆ (oxidative pathways)
• Magnesium (co-factor of B₁ enzymes)
• L-carnitine (fatty acid transport)
• Sodium & potassium (nerve conduction)
• Iodine (basal metabolism via the thyroid gland)

An isolated vitamin B₁ supplementation without this context has only a limited effect.

Brewer’s yeast: role and limitation

Brewer’s yeast is a good natural source (up to ±80 mg/kg), inexpensive, practical, and suitable during rest and breeding periods. During peak exertion, however, it is often insufficient as the sole energy source due to variable absorption and its dependence on intestinal condition.

Philosophical summary (practical tip)

Vitamin B₁ does not make a champion, but without B₁ no champion can exist.

It is not a performance booster, but an efficiency factor: it determines how much energy from the same feed actually becomes available.

The COMED BIG 5 is therefore the most suitable combination to meet these complex needs. 

(*) https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamine_B1