Effect of conditioning horses with short intervals at high speed on biochemical variables in blood.
Abstract: There is limited published work on the effect of training using intensive and short intervals of exercise to condition horses for racing. Objective: To examine the effect of conditioning horses 1, 2 or 3 x a week using 2 short fast exercise intervals on blood lactate (LA), plasma ammonia (NH3) and urea (urea) as well as creatine kinase (CK) activity. Methods: Thoroughbreds (age 4-5 years) were conditioned at near maximal speed (12-14 m/sec) over 100 m, on 2 occasions separated by a 10 min period at walk, on dirt track (conditioning exercise; CE) during a 6 week conditioning period (CP). The CE was undertaken either once (5 horses), twice (5 horses) or 3 times a week (4 horses) during a CP. Before, every 2 weeks during and after the CP, blood was drawn during the CE at 0, 2 and 4 min after each run and additionally 6 min after the 2nd run to measure blood LA and determine the maximal LA post exercise (LAmax). Plasma NH3 was measured in the same samples and the maximal NH3 post exercise (NH3max) determined. Additional blood samples were taken from the horses when stabled before the CE, and 12 and 24 h after to measure urea and CK activity in plasma. Results: There was no differential effect of the number of weekly CE on LAmax, NH3max, LA and NH3 immediately after exercise (LAO and NH3O). Conditioning did not have an effect on LAmax and LA0 after the 1st interval (P>0.05), but LA0 after the 2nd interval was lower after conditioning. NH3max after the 1st and 2nd exercise interval decreased in response to the conditioning, but not NH3 immediately after exercise (P>0.05). Median plasma CK activity 12 h after exercise was higher than before exercise and returned to preexercise levels 24 h post exercise when horses were exercised once and twice/week. In contrast, the median plasma CK activity of horses exercising 3 times/week remained at the pre-exercise level 12 and 24 h post exercise (P>0.05). Conclusions: Conditioning horses with 2 intervals of 100 m at near maximal speed had a positive effect on blood LA and plasma NH3. Conclusions: With the type of exercise examined, the fitness of racing horses can be maintained and eventually improved. In further studies the effect of increasing the number of runs in one exercise session should be investigated.
Publication Date: 2007-04-04 PubMed ID: 17402398DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2006.tb05519.xGoogle 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
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
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 the impact of conditioning racehorses with short, intense exercise intervals on certain blood biochemical variables. The results indicate that such training can influence the levels of lactate and ammonia in the blood, which can potentially improve the fitness of racing horses.
Objective and Methodology
- The main objective of this research was to study the impact of using 2 short, high-intensity exercise intervals one to three times a week on blood lactate (LA), plasma ammonia (NH3), urea, and creatine kinase (CK) activity in Thoroughbred horses aged 4-5 years, being trained for racing.
- The conditioning exercise (CE), which involved running at near maximal speed (12-14 m/sec) over 100 m twice, with a 10 minute walk in between, was conducted over a 6 week conditioning period (CP) on a dirt track.
- The different groups of horses were subjected to the CE either once, twice, or three times a week.
- The research team took blood samples before, during (at 2 and 4 minutes after each run, with an additional sample at 6 minutes after the second run), and after the CP to measure LA, NH3, urea and CK activity.
Results
- The research found no significant influence of the frequency of weekly CEs (either once, twice, or three times a week) on the levels of LA and NH3 immediately following exercise, or on the maximum levels of these two variables post exercise (LAmax and NH3max).
- Conditioning did not affect the LA0 and LAmax levels after the first run, but the LA0 level was lower following the second run.
- The presence of NH3max in the blood decreased after both the first and second runs in response to the conditioning, while NH3 levels measured immediately after exercise remained unaffected.
- Plasma CK activity was found to be higher 12 hours after exercise compared to before exercise in horses exercised once or twice a week, but returned to pre-exercise levels 24 hours post exercise. For horses exercising three times a week, plasma CK activity remained unchanged at pre-exercise levels 12 and 24 hours after exercise.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that conditioning horses with two intervals of 100m run at near maximal speed may have a favorable influence on blood LA and plasma NH3 levels.
- Such a program could potentially maintain, and possibly improve, the fitness of racing horses. However, the effect of increasing the number of runs in one exercise session would need to be evaluated in further research.
Cite This Article
APA
Lindner A, Signorini R, Brero L, Arn E, Mancini R, Enrique A.
(2007).
Effect of conditioning horses with short intervals at high speed on biochemical variables in blood.
Equine Vet J Suppl(36), 88-92.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2006.tb05519.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Arbeitsgruppe Pferd, Jülich, Germany.
MeSH Terms
- Ammonia / blood
- Analysis of Variance
- Animals
- Blood Chemical Analysis / veterinary
- Blood Urea Nitrogen
- Creatine Kinase / blood
- Creatine Kinase / metabolism
- Exercise Test / veterinary
- Horses / blood
- Horses / physiology
- Lactates / blood
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / methods
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Time Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Bukhari SSUH, Parkes RSV. Assessing the impact of draught load pulling on welfare in equids.. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1214015.
- Fielding CL, Magdesian KG, Mayer JR. Resolution of neurologic signs presumed to be associated with hyperammonemia in 2 endurance horses.. Can Vet J 2020 Aug;61(8):860-864.
- Song KD, Cho HW, Lee HK, Cho BW. Molecular Characterization and Expression Analysis of Equine Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Alpha (VEGFα) Gene in Horse (Equus caballus).. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci 2014 May;27(5):743-8.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
