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PloS one2023; 18(10); e0293202; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293202

Evaluation of fitness parameters in relation to racing results in 245 Standardbred trotter horses submitted for poor performance examination: A retrospective study.

Abstract: In racehorses, the associations between physiological parameters obtained by exercise testing and racing results have been questioned. We hypothesized that fitness variables measured during a treadmill incremental test may be related with racing outcomes and lifetime career. Our study aimed to investigate the role of fitness parameters obtained during a treadmill test in performance evaluation and career prediction in poorly performing Standardbreds, through a retrospective review of the clinical records of 245 trotters that underwent an incremental treadmill test. Several fitness parameters were assessed, and their correlations with racing data (number of starts, wins and placings) in the 3 months before and 6 months after examination were evaluated; moreover their associations and predictive power for lifetime racing results and earnings were considered. The associations between fitness parameters and measures of racing performance as well as the associations between racing results over time were evaluated by Spearman's correlation in the whole population and in different age groups. Multivariate regression models predicting the total number of starts, wins and earnings based on fitness parameters were constructed, controlling for age, weight, and sex. Maximum speed and the speed at the aerobic threshold were the parameters correlated with the most racing results, in the three evaluation periods (3 months before, 6 months after, lifetime). Other parameters predictive of career outcomes were maximum blood lactate concentration and maximum hematocrit. Interestingly, in 2-year-old Standardbreds, the only parameters correlated with racing results were maximum hematocrit and minimum pH, suggesting they may reflect individual potential. Both the racing results obtained before and after examination were predictive of lifetime career, with those following hospitalization being more strongly correlated. In conclusion, parameters obtained during treadmill tests both reflect the racing outcomes and the career potential.
Copyright: © 2023 Lo Feudo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Publication Date: 2023-10-19 PubMed ID: 37856522PubMed Central: PMC10586626DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293202Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 analyzes the relationship between physiological variables of racehorses measured on a treadmill test to their subsequent racing performance. The data points to treadmill test results having a predictive significance regarding the horse’s future career.

Research Methodology

  • The study took a retrospective approach, evaluating the clinical records of 245 Standardbred trotter horses that had underperformed in races.
  • These horses underwent an incremental treadmill test, from which several fitness parameters were measured and noted.
  • The observed fitness parameters were then correlated with racing data, including the number of races started, wins, and places achieved, both three months prior to and six months following the examination.
  • Besides the short term racing outcomes, the research also considered how well the fitness parameters predicted lifetime performance outcomes and earnings.
  • Data analysis used the Spearman’s correlation method. The analysis was performed for the entire population and for different age groups separately.
  • Also, multivariate regression models were established. The models predicted the number of starts, wins, and earnings based on the various fitness parameters, adjusting for factors like age, weight, and sex.

Key Findings

  • The findings suggested two parameters, i.e., maximum speed and speed at the aerobic threshold, were most significantly related to racing results over the three evaluation periods (three months prior examination, six months post examination, and lifetime).
  • Other parameters that had predictive power for career outcomes included maximum blood lactine concentration and maximum hematocrit.
  • For 2-year-old Standardbreds, only the maximum hematocrit and minimum pH were correlated with racing results, implying individual potential.
  • Racing outcomes both before and after the examination were predictive of a horse’s lifetime career, with a higher correlation observed with the results after the examination.

Conclusion

  • The results from the research reinforced the hypothesis. They found that parameters obtained from a treadmill test had a reflective relationship with both the racing outcomes and the career potential of the stag.
  • Consequentially, these treadmill tests could be valuable in predicting the performance of racehorses, hence their future career outcomes.

Cite This Article

APA
Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Conturba B, Bozzola C, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. (2023). Evaluation of fitness parameters in relation to racing results in 245 Standardbred trotter horses submitted for poor performance examination: A retrospective study. PLoS One, 18(10), e0293202. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293202

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 18
Issue: 10
Pages: e0293202

Researcher Affiliations

Lo Feudo, Chiara Maria
  • Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory "Franco Tradati", Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Stucchi, Luca
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Stancari, Giovanni
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Conturba, Bianca
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Bozzola, Chiara
  • Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory "Franco Tradati", Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Zucca, Enrica
  • Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory "Franco Tradati", Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Ferrucci, Francesco
  • Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory "Franco Tradati", Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.

MeSH Terms

  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Sports
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
  • Hematocrit
  • Exercise Test

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Bozzola C, Sala G, Stancari G, Ferrucci F, Zucca E. Comparison Between Tracheal Wash and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytology for the Assessment of Airway Inflammation in Racehorses Affected by Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage. Animals (Basel) 2025 Sep 5;15(17).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15172609pubmed: 40941404google scholar: lookup
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