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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Rec / Conditioning equine athletes on water treadmills significant...
The Veterinary record2019; 186(8); 250; doi: 10.1136/vr.104684

Conditioning equine athletes on water treadmills significantly improves peak oxygen consumption.

Abstract: Equine water treadmills (WT) were initially designed for rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries, but are also commonly used for conditioning sport horses, however the effects are not well documented. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of an 18-day WT conditioning programme on peak oxygen consumption (V̇O2peak). Nine unfit Thoroughbreds were used in a randomised controlled trial. Six horses worked daily for 18 days in stifle-height water (WT group), while 3 control horses worked without water (dry treadmill group (DT)). Preconditioning and postconditioning maximal exercise racetrack tests (800 m) were performed using a portable ergospirometry system. Measured outcomes were V̇O2, tidal volume, minute ventilation, breathing frequency, heart rate, blood lactate and instantaneous and average speed. The workload as assessed by V̇O2 was 21.7 per cent of preconditioning V̇O2peak values for WT horses. V̇O2peak on the racetrack increased by 16.1 per cent from preconditioning to postconditioning in the WT horses (P=0.03), but did not change in the DT horses. Therefore, exercising horses in high water heights may improve conditioning.
© British Veterinary Association 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. Published by BMJ.
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Publication Date: 2019-09-11 PubMed ID: 31511399PubMed Central: PMC7057798DOI: 10.1136/vr.104684Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Veterinary

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 examines how conditioning horses on water treadmills can significantly improve their peak oxygen consumption compared to training on dry treadmills.

Overview of the Research

  • The paper is centered around testing the effect of water treadmills (WT) which were initially designed for rehabilitating horse injuries, but are now also used for conditioning sport horses. The focus of the study is the impact of an 18-day water treadmill conditioning programme on peak oxygen consumption.
  • The experiment involved nine unfit Thoroughbreds, with six undergoing the water treadmill programme and three acting as control subjects, undergoing conditioning on dry treadmills (DT).
  • Racetrack tests before and after conditioning were performed to measure variables such as oxygen consumption, tidal volume, minute ventilation, breathing frequency, heart rate, blood lactate and speed.

Findings of the Study

  • For the horses on the water treadmill, the workload was measured at approximately 21.7% of pre-conditioning peak oxygen consumption. This means that the exertion level the horses experienced during their workout was considerably lower than their maximum capacity.
  • The peak oxygen consumption of the WT horses on the racetrack increased by an impressive 16.1% after the period of water treadmill training.
  • No such increase was observed in the control horses that were conditioned on the dry treadmill.

Conclusion and Implications

  • The research suggests that using high-water treadmills for horse conditioning can result in significant improvements in their peak oxygen consumption, indicating higher fitness levels.
  • This study may contribute towards the development of more efficient training and conditioning protocols for equine athletes, potentially leading to better performance in competitive situations.
  • Further research may explore the physiological mechanisms behind the benefits of water treadmills, or investigate their impact on different aspects of equine performance or in other animal athlete species.

Cite This Article

APA
Greco-Otto P, Bond S, Sides R, Bayly W, Leguillette R. (2019). Conditioning equine athletes on water treadmills significantly improves peak oxygen consumption. Vet Rec, 186(8), 250. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.104684

Publication

The Veterinary record
ISSN: 2042-7670
NlmUniqueID: 0031164
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 186
Issue: 8
Pages: 250

Researcher Affiliations

Greco-Otto, Persephone
  • Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Bond, Stephanie
  • Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Sides, Raymond
  • Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, Washington, USA.
Bayly, Warwick
  • Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, Washington, USA.
Leguillette, Renaud
  • Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada rleguill@ucalgary.ca.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Exercise Test / veterinary
  • Female
  • Horses / physiology
  • Male
  • Oxygen Consumption / physiology
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / methods
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology

Conflict of Interest Statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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