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Cardiopulmonary function during supramaximal exercise in hypoxia, normoxia and hyperoxia in Thoroughbred horses.
Abstract: Supramaximal exercise while inspiring different O gases may induce different responses in cardiopulmonary function at the same relative and/or absolute exercise intensity. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of supramaximal exercise in hypoxia, normoxia and hyperoxia on cardiopulmonary function in Thoroughbred horses. Using a crossover design, five well-trained horses were made to run up a 6% grade on a treadmill at supramaximal speeds sustainable for approximately 110 sec (approximately 115% Omax) while breathing normoxic gas (NO, 21% O) or hypoxic gas (LO, 15.3% O) in random order. Horses also ran at the same speed, incline and run time as in NO while breathing hyperoxic gas (HO, 28.8% O) and as in LO while breathing normoxic gas (NO). Runs were on different days, and cardiopulmonary variables were analyzed with repeated-measures ANOVA and the Holm-Šidák method for pairwise comparisons. Supramaximal speeds differed significantly between NO and LO (14.0 ± 0.5 [SD] m/sec vs. 12.6 ± 0.5 m/sec), but run times to exhaustion did not (112 ± 17 sec vs. 103 ± 14 sec). The Omax in NO was higher than that in LO (165 ± 11 vs. 120 ± 15 ml (min× kg)), as was the arterial oxygen tension (66 ± 5 vs. 45 ± 2 Torr). Oxygen consumption was increased in HO and NO compared with the values in NO and LO, respectively. Supramaximal exercise in hypoxia induces more severe hypoxemia and decreases Omax compared with normoxia at the same relative intensity. Conversely, supramaximal exercise in hyperoxia alleviates hypoxemia and increases O compared with normoxia at the same absolute intensity.
©2020 The Japanese Society of Equine Science.
Publication Date: 2020-12-18 PubMed ID: 33376442PubMed Central: PMC7750644DOI: 10.1294/jes.31.67Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This study investigates how different levels of inspired oxygen gases (hypoxia, normoxia, and hyperoxia) affect the cardiopulmonary function of Thoroughbred horses during intense exercise. The researchers found that the quantity of oxygen consumed varied under different conditions, indicating a change in the horse’s physiological response to exercise intensity.
Objective and Methodology
- The aim of the research was to understand how different oxygen gas levels influence the cardiopulmonary functionality in Thoroughbred horses during supramaximal exercise, a very high intensity workout. The three environments studied were hypoxia (low oxygen), normoxia (normal oxygen), and hyperoxia (high oxygen).
- The researchers utilized a crossover design in which five well-trained horses were made to run on a treadmill with a grade of 6% under specific conditions. They were first made to run up an incline in normoxic and hypoxic environments, after which their performance in a hyperoxic atmosphere was observed.
- To offer a comparative understanding, horses were also made to run at the same speed and incline while breathing normoxic gas like in LO conditions. Exercise times were kept identical in all experiments.
- Variables related to the animals’ cardiopulmonary responses, like oxygen uptake, speed, and time to exhaustion, were statistically analyzed using repeat-measures ANOVA and Holm-Šidák method for pairwise comparisons.
Findings and Interpretations
- Different exercises led to different levels of maximum oxygen consumption (Omax). Researchers found a significant variation in speeds when horses ran in NO and LO atmospheres, with the former yielding higher speeds.
- Importantly, running times to the point of exhaustion remained the same under different oxygen levels (approximately 110 seconds), suggesting that the duration of supramaximal exercise was unaffected by inspired gases strength.
- However, Omax values under NO conditions were greater than those in LO, indicating that the horses’ physiological responses to exercise varied with different levels of oxygen. Similar variations were observed in arterial oxygen tension.
- Furthermore, oxygen consumption increased significantly in HO and NO compared with values in NO and LO respectively. This showed that the horses’ bodies used more oxygen when they had more of it available.
- The findings show that engaging in extremely intense exercise in a hypoxic environment leads to severe hypoxemia (reduced oxygenation of the blood) and decreased Omax compared to normoxia at the same relative intensity. On the other hand, exercising intensively under hyperoxic conditions relieved hypoxemia and increased oxygen consumption relative to normoxia at the same absolute intensity.
- This research suggests that respiratory conditions have a significant influence on the cardiopulmonary responses in horses during vigorous workouts. More research is required for a comprehensive understanding of how different classes of animals respond to changes in oxygen availability during extreme workouts.
Cite This Article
APA
Ohmura H, Mukai K, Matsui A, Takahashi T, Jones JH.
(2020).
Cardiopulmonary function during supramaximal exercise in hypoxia, normoxia and hyperoxia in Thoroughbred horses.
J Equine Sci, 31(4), 67-73.
https://doi.org/10.1294/jes.31.67 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Sports Science Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
- Sports Science Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
- Sports Science Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
- Sports Science Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, CA 95616, U.S.A.
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Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Davie A, Beavers R, Hargitaiová K, Denham J. The Emerging Role of Hypoxic Training for the Equine Athlete. Animals (Basel) 2023 Sep 3;13(17).
- Mukai K, Kitaoka Y, Takahashi Y, Takahashi T, Takahashi K, Ohmura H. Moderate-intensity training in hypoxia improves exercise performance and glycolytic capacity of skeletal muscle in horses. Physiol Rep 2021 Dec;9(23):e15145.
- Ohmura H, Mukai K, Takahashi Y, Takahashi T. Metabolomic analysis of skeletal muscle before and after strenuous exercise to fatigue. Sci Rep 2021 May 27;11(1):11261.
- Mukai K, Ohmura H, Takahashi Y, Kitaoka Y, Takahashi T. Four weeks of high-intensity training in moderate, but not mild hypoxia improves performance and running economy more than normoxic training in horses. Physiol Rep 2021 Feb;9(4):e14760.
- Takahashi K, Mukai K, Takahashi Y, Ebisuda Y, Sugiyama F, Hatta H, Kitaoka Y. Effects of hypoxia and hyperoxia on exercise-induced metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles in equine skeletal muscle. J Exp Biol 2025 Dec 15;228(24).
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