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Home / Equine Research Bank / Front Physiol / Effects of Age, Exercise Duration, and Test Conditions on He...
Frontiers in physiology2016; 7; 155; doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00155

Effects of Age, Exercise Duration, and Test Conditions on Heart Rate Variability in Young Endurance Horses.

Abstract: Although cardiac recovery is an important criterion for ranking horses in endurance competitions, heart rate variability (HRV) has hardly ever been studied in the context of this equestrian discipline. In the present study, we sought to determine whether HRV is affected by parameters such as age, exercise duration and test site. Accordingly, HRV might be used to select endurance horses with the fastest cardiac recovery. The main objective of the present study was to determine the effects of age, exercise duration, and test site on HRV variables at rest and during exercise and recovery in young Arabian endurance horses. Over a 3-year period, 77 young Arabian horses aged 4-6 years performed one or more exercise tests (consisting of a warm-up, cantering at 22 km.h(-1)and a final 500 m gallop at full speed) at four different sites. Beat-to-beat RR intervals were continuously recorded and then analyzed (using a time-frequency approach) to determine the instantaneous HRV components before, during and after the test. At rest, the root-mean-square of successive differences in RR intervals (RMSSD) was higher in the 4-year-olds (54.4 ± 14.5 ms) than in the 5-or 6-year-olds (44.9 ± 15.5 and 49.1 ± 11.7 ms, respectively). During the first 15 min of exercise (period T), the heart rate (HR) and RMSSD decreased with age. In 6-year-olds, RMSSD decreased as the exercise duration increased (T: 3.0 ± 1.4 vs. 2T: 3.6 ± 2.2 vs. 3T: 2.8 ± 1.0). During recovery, RMSSD was negatively correlated with the cardiac recovery time (CRT) and the recovery heart rate (RHR; R = -0.56 and -0.53, respectively; p < 0.05). At rest and during exercise and recovery, RMSSD and several HRV variables differed significantly as a function of the test conditions. HRV in endurance horses appears to be strongly influenced by age and environmental factors (such as ambient temperature, ambient humidity, and track quality). Nevertheless, RMSSD can be used to select endurance horses with the fastest cardiac recovery.
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Publication Date: 2016-05-02 PubMed ID: 27199770PubMed Central: PMC4852288DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00155Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

The research article discusses the effects of factors including age, duration of exercise, and test conditions on heart rate variability (HRV) among young endurance horses, which could be used in selecting horses with faster cardiac recovery.

Introduction and Objectives

  • The article begins by noting that while cardiac recovery is a key ranking consideration in endurance horse competitions, little research has been conducted on heart rate variability (HRV) in this context.
  • Given this, the researchers aimed to understand whether HRV is influenced by parameters such as age, exercise duration, and testing conditions.
  • The central goal was to ascertain the effects of age, workout period, and test situation on HRV variables during rest, during exertion, and throughout recovery in young Arabian endurance horses.

Methods

  • Detailed exercise tests were conducted on 77 young Arabian horses aged between 4 and 6 years over a three-year period.
  • These tests, conducted at four different locations, consisted of warm-ups, cantering at 22 km/h, and a 500 m gallop at full speed.
  • The heart rate intervals were recorded continually, then analyzed to detect HRV elements before, during, and after the test.

Findings

  • The 4-year-old horses showed higher root-mean-square of successive differences in RR intervals (RMSSD), a measure used in HRV, at rest than the 5 and 6-year-olds.
  • In the initial 15 minutes of exercise, both heart rate and RMSSD decreased with age.
  • Among 6-year-olds, RMSSD reduced as the duration of exercise increased.
  • During recovery, RMSSD exhibited a negative correlation with the cardiac recovery time (CRT) and the recovery heart rate (RHR).
  • Significant variations were observed in RMSSD and several HRV variables as a function of the testing conditions – both at rest and during exercise and recovery.

Conclusion

  • The researchers concluded that HRV in endurance horses is heavily impacted by factors such as age and environmental elements, including ambient temperature, humidity, and the quality of the track.
  • However, they also determined that the RMSSD measure can be effectively used to select endurance horses demonstrating the quickest cardiac recovery.

Cite This Article

APA
Younes M, Robert C, Barrey E, Cottin F. (2016). Effects of Age, Exercise Duration, and Test Conditions on Heart Rate Variability in Young Endurance Horses. Front Physiol, 7, 155. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00155

Publication

Frontiers in physiology
ISSN: 1664-042X
NlmUniqueID: 101549006
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 7
Pages: 155
PII: 155

Researcher Affiliations

Younes, Mohamed
  • CIAMS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-SaclayOrsay, France; CIAMS, Université d'OrléansLoiret Orléans, France.
Robert, Céline
  • GABI, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-SaclayJouy-en-Josas, France; Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France.
Barrey, Eric
  • GABI, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay Jouy-en-Josas, France.
Cottin, François
  • CIAMS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-SaclayOrsay, France; CIAMS, Université d'OrléansLoiret Orléans, France.

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