Effects of training on resting and postexercise ECG in standardbred horses, using a standardized exercise test.

The research article examines the effects of exercise training on the electrocardiogram (ECG) readings in Standardbred horses, finding no significant changes in heart rate or other cardiac variables at rest or after exercise.

Study Design and Participants

• The study involved five healthy adult Standardbred horses who were given four months of rest without any exercise, three weeks of low intensity jogging, and then underwent a six-week training period.

Exercise and Measurement Protocol

• The horse’s cardiac variables were measured at several stages: at the start of the training period, and then after 14, 20, 35, and 42 days.
• These measurements were taken both before and at several intervals (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes) after a standardized submaximal exercise test. This involved the horses running a 1.8-km track.

Results of the Study

• The study found no significant change during the six-week conditioning period in a number of cardiac variables: heart rate, PQ interval, QRS duration, QT interval, and the ratio of electrical systole to diastole, both at rest and after exercise.

Implications and Conclusions

• The researchers concluded that measuring heart rate via an ECG at rest and after exercise is not a significant method for evaluating the fitness of previously trained adult horses.

This could have implications for the methods used to monitor and assess the fitness and health of equine athletes. Further research may be needed to identify alternative methods of evaluation.