Acute whole-body vibration as a recovery strategy did not alter the content of gluteus medius monocarboxylate-transporters, lactatemia, and acidosis induced by intense exercise in horses.
Abstract: Several studies have explored alternatives to enhance the performance, health, and safety of sports horses. One promising method involves the use of vibrating platforms (VP), which offer passive exercise stimulation via mechanical oscillations distributed throughout the body. This type of exercise is referred to as whole-body vibration (WBV) and is an emerging strategy for accelerating muscle recovery. This study examined the dynamics of proteins responsible for transporting monocarboxylates (MCT1 and MCT4), and their relationship with lactatemia and acid-base balance in connection with WBV recovery following intense treadmill exercise in horses. Unassigned: Eight crossbred horses underwent the standardized exercise test on the treadmill to determine the velocity corresponding to the lactate threshold. This velocity was used to prescribe the external load of the acute intense exercise bout (AIEB), which was performed to recruit rapidly fatigable type II muscle fibers and induce hyperlactatemia and metabolic acidosis. The horses were assigned to three experimental groups in a crossover design, with a 7-day washout period. The treadmill group (TG) actively recovered through low-intensity treadmill walking. The WBV group (WBVG) followed a stepwise recovery protocol on VP, with each step lasting 2 min and the frequencies decreasing in a specific order: 76, 66, 55, 46, and 32 Hz. The sham group (SG) was designated for horses with the VP turned off. All groups experienced a uniform recovery strategy duration of 10 min. Heart rate (HR), rectal temperature (RT), lactatemia, glycemia, acid-base status and electrolytes, strong ion difference (SID), and muscle monocarboxylate transporters (MCT1 and MCT4), were assessed. Unassigned: AIEB induced positive chronotropic effects, hyperlactatemia and moderate metabolic acidosis in all experimental groups. All groups also showed transitory hyperthermia, hyperglycemia, hypernatremia, hyperchloremia, hyperkalemia and SID reduction. HR was higher in TG than in the WBVG and SG immediately after the recovery procedures. Between the groups, there was no change in RT, lactatemia, glycemia and MCT1 and MCT4 content. Regardless of groups, the MCT4 content decreased 3 and 6 h after recovery strategies. Unassigned: It was concluded that a single whole-body vibration session did not enhance recovery of lactatemia or acid-base balance in horses after intense treadmill exercise.
Copyright © 2025 Carvalho, Sales, Littiere, Costa, Castro, Polisel, Orsi, Ramos, Santos, Gobatto, Manchado-Gobatto and Ferraz.
Publication Date: 2025-03-06 PubMed ID: 40115828PubMed Central: PMC11925038DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1538195Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study explores the impact of whole-body vibration (WBV) as a recovery strategy following intense exercise in horses, focusing particularly on measures of lactatemia, acid-base balance and transport proteins monocarboxylates (MCT1 and MCT4). The results show no significant improvement in recovery measures with the use of WBV.
Methods and Procedures
- Eight crossbred horses were subjected to intense treadmill exercise to establish baselines for lactate thresholds and velocity.
- The horses were separated into three groups: one that used low-intensity treadmill walking for active recovery (Treadmill Group – TG), one that used a vibrating platform for recovery with incremental changes in frequency (Whole-body Vibration Group -WBVG), and a control group with a motionless vibrating platform (Sham Group – SG).
- A variety of physiological metrics were monitored including heart rate, lactate and glucose levels, body temperature, and acid-base status. Also, concentration of monocarboxylate transport proteins (MCT1 and MCT4) was assessed to monitor the potential effects on lactate transportation.
Findings
- All the exercise protocols resulted in some degree of heart rate elevation, increased lactate production, temporary heat elevation, and a range of electrolyte concentration shifts.
- The Treadmill Group exhibited higher heart rate than the WBV and Sham groups post-recovery.
- No difference was observed among the groups in terms of body temperature, lactate levels, glucose levels, and MCT1 and MCT4 content.
- Regardless of the group, the concentration of MCT4 decreased 3 and 6 hours following the recovery procedures.
Conclusions
- The use of a single whole-body vibration session did not seem to enhance recovery on acid-base balance and lactatemia in horses after intense treadmill exercise. While body vibration platforms are viewed as a potentially innovative recovery method, this study’s results suggest that they may not add significant benefits in these particular contexts.
Cite This Article
APA
Carvalho JRG, Sales NAA, Littiere TO, Costa GB, Castro CM, Polisel EEC, Orsi JB, Ramos GV, Santos IFC, Gobatto CA, Manchado-Gobatto FB, Ferraz GC.
(2025).
Acute whole-body vibration as a recovery strategy did not alter the content of gluteus medius monocarboxylate-transporters, lactatemia, and acidosis induced by intense exercise in horses.
Front Vet Sci, 12, 1538195.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1538195 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Laboratory of Equine Exercise Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, FCAV/UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Equine Exercise Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, FCAV/UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Equine Exercise Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, FCAV/UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas (CPCE), Bom Jesus, Piauí, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Equine Exercise Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, FCAV/UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Equine Exercise Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, FCAV/UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Applied Sport Physiology, School of Applied Sciences, State University of Campinas, FCA/UNICAMP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Applied Sport Physiology, School of Applied Sciences, State University of Campinas, FCA/UNICAMP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, FCAV/UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Academic Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rondônia, UNIR, Rolim de Moura, Rondônia, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Applied Sport Physiology, School of Applied Sciences, State University of Campinas, FCA/UNICAMP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Applied Sport Physiology, School of Applied Sciences, State University of Campinas, FCA/UNICAMP, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Equine Exercise Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, FCAV/UNESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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