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Effects of a pre-moistened multilayered breathable fabric in promoting heat loss during recovery after exercise under hot conditions.
Abstract: Horses generate considerable internal heat burdens when exercising. Although common practice for a trainer or groom to place a wet blanket or towel on the dorsum of a hot horse post exercise, there are no data supporting the efficacy of this cooling method. Objective: To test the hypothesis that a pre-moistened blanket designed with a multilayered breathable fabric would enhance heat loss in horses post exercise. Methods: Eight treadmill-trained horses performed a standardised exercise test (SET) weekly for 3 weeks, with 3 different recovery treatments administered randomly. Pulmonary artery temperature (PAT) was measured via Swan-Ganz catheter. The SET consisted of 10 min at 3.7 m/sec, 3 min at 11.0 m/sec, 25 min at 3.7 m/sec and 20 min of recovery walking at 2.0 m/sec (58 min exercise and recovery under laboratory conditions of 35.0-40.6 degrees C and 27-49% RH). From 3-7 min during recovery, the treadmill was stopped and horses randomly received either: (a) no bath (negative control); (b) a bath consisting of 32 l of 1-4 degrees C water split into 3-4 cycles of bilateral water application (positive control) followed by water removal ('scraping'); or (c) application of a multilayered fabric blanket soaked in 16-19 degrees C water, wrung out, and placed over the dorsum and sides of the horse. PAT was compared using RM ANOVA with the Student Neuman-Keul's test used post hoc to discriminate between treatments at specific points in time. Results: Mean PAT rose with each phase of exercise (P<0.001) and peaked at a mean of 40.2 +/- 0.2 degrees C. During recovery, the cold bath decreased HR and PAT for 9 min after walking resumed (P<0.001-P0.05), and both were hotter than the cold bath treatment through 16 min of recovery (P<0.05). Conclusions: A specially-designed cooling blanket failed to reduce PAT when compared to negative control. Cold water bathing decreased HR and PAT but was not effective throughout all of recovery. Conclusions: A specially-designed, pre-moistened multilayered breathable fabric failed to promote evaporative cooling compared to negative control. Cold water baths may need to be repeated throughout recovery to optimise their effect.
Publication Date: 2007-04-04 PubMed ID: 17402437DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2006.tb05558.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
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
Summary
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The study sought to examine whether using a prerecorded blanket made from a multilayered breathable fabric could aid in dissipating heat from horses after exercising in hot conditions. However, the results showed that this type of blanket was ineffective as compared to a negative control (no treatment), and only cold water baths led to a temporary decrease in the horses’ core temperature and heart rate.
Methodology and Experiment Design
- Eight treadmill-trained horses underwent a standardized exercise test (SET) weekly for three weeks. The SET was composed of segments of moderate to intense exercise and recovery periods, all conducted under laboratory conditions above 35 degrees Celsius.
- The horses’ pulmonary artery temperatures (PAT) were monitored through a Swan-Ganz catheter, which is a special type of catheter inserted into the pulmonary artery to monitor heat levels.
- After the exercise phase, the horses were subjected to one of three randomly assigned treatments: no bath (serving as a negative control), a cold water bath (made up of 32 liters of 1-4 degrees C water applied in cycles and then removed), or the wearing of a prerecorded multilayered blanket soaked in 16-19 degrees C water.
Results and Analysis
- As expected, the horses’ mean PAT increased with each phase of the exercise test, peaking at an average of 40.2°C.
- In the recovery period, the horses who received the cold bath showed a temporary decrease in heart rate (HR) and PAT, starting from when the walking exercise resumed and lasting for about 9 minutes.
- Yet, the multilayered fabric blanket did not result in a noticeable decrease in HR or PAT when compared with the negative control. In fact, both these groups registered hotter body readings than the cold water bath group, up until 16 minutes into the recovery phase.
Conclusions
- The research concluded that the specially-made cooling blanket was not successful in reducing PAT when matched against not applying any cooling method at all. Therefore, it couldn’t be proven as an effective way to promote evaporative cooling in horses post-exercise.
- On the other hand, applying a cold bath temporarily lowered the horses’ HR and PAT but for the entire recovery period, it was not completely effective. Hence, the authors suggest the need for repeated application of cold water baths during the recovery phase to enhance their cooling effect.
Cite This Article
APA
Foreman JH, Benson GJ, Foreman MH.
(2007).
Effects of a pre-moistened multilayered breathable fabric in promoting heat loss during recovery after exercise under hot conditions.
Equine Vet J Suppl(36), 303-307.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2006.tb05558.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, 1008 West Hazelwood Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Analysis of Variance
- Animals
- Body Temperature / physiology
- Body Temperature Regulation / physiology
- Cross-Over Studies
- Exercise Test / veterinary
- Female
- Horses / physiology
- Hot Temperature / adverse effects
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Pulmonary Artery
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Hall EJ, Carter AJ, Bradbury J, Beard S, Gilbert S, Barfield D, O'Neill DG. Cooling Methods Used to Manage Heat-Related Illness in Dogs Presented to Primary Care Veterinary Practices during 2016-2018 in the UK. Vet Sci 2023 Jul 15;10(7).
- Hall EJ, Carter AJ, Farnworth MJ. Exploring Owner Perceptions of the Impacts of Seasonal Weather Variations on Canine Activity and Potential Consequences for Human-Canine Relationships. Animals (Basel) 2021 Nov 19;11(11).
- Verdegaal EJMM, Howarth GS, McWhorter TJ, Boshuizen B, Franklin SH, Vidal Moreno de Vega C, Jonas SE, Folwell LE, Delesalle CJG. Continuous Monitoring of the Thermoregulatory Response in Endurance Horses and Trotter Horses During Field Exercise: Baselining for Future Hot Weather Studies. Front Physiol 2021;12:708737.
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