FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Comp Exerc Physiol / From maturity to old age: tasks of daily life require a diff...
Comparative exercise physiology2014; 10(2); 75-88; doi: 10.3920/CEP140001

From maturity to old age: tasks of daily life require a different muscle use in horses.

Abstract: In vertebrates ageing is characterized by reduced viscoelasticity of the ligamentous and tendineous structures and fibre changes in muscle. Also, some vertebral joint degeneration develops with ageing. The aim of this study was to apply dynamic time warping to compare the temporal characteristics of the surface electromyography (sEMG) data and to illustrate the differences in the pattern of muscle use during tasks of daily life in old and mature horses. kinematics (24 skin markers) and sEMG measurements of neck extensors and flexors were taken in five mature horses (age 10 ± 2 years, half of mean life expectancy) and five old horses (age 25 ± 5 years, older than the mean life expectancy). All horses had the same level of activity in the 12 months prior to the measurement. Tasks measured were neck flexion and neck extension as well as neutral neck position. Muscle activation, minimum and maximum muscle activation were collected. Quartiles of muscle activity based on the maximum observed activity of each muscle were calculated to document the relative increase of activity level during the task. Kinematics as well as overall muscle activity patterns were similar across horses and age groups. However, in the neutral position old horses showed increased extensor activity compared to mature horses, indicating that old equine muscle requires more activity to counteract gravity. Dynamic time warping specified optimal temporal alignments of time series, and different temporal performances were identified. The age groups differed during the flexion task, while extension and neutral were more similar. The results of this study show that even in the second half of life and in the absence of muscle disuse the muscular strategy employed by horses continues to be adapted.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2014-07-07 PubMed ID: 28680481PubMed Central: PMC5495164DOI: 10.3920/CEP140001Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • 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 article explores how age affects muscle use during ordinary activities in horses, by comparing the muscle use patterns in mature horses (about 10 years old) and old horses (about 25 years old) using surface electromyography (sEMG) and dynamic time warping.

Understanding Age-related Muscle Use in Horses

  • The study is premised on the fact that aging in vertebrates, including horses, is associated with reduced elasticity of ligaments and tendons, muscle fiber changes and degeneration of vertebral joints.
  • The application of surface electromyography (sEMG) offers a method for capturing and comparing muscle activity in horses performing routine tasks. Dynamic time warping, a technique used to align different time series for comparison, is applied here for gaining insights into differences in temporal characteristics of sEMG data for the two age groups.

The Study Design

  • The researchers used a sample of five mature horses (aged 10 ± 2 years) and five old horses (aged 25 ± 5 years), all with the same level of activity in the 12 months preceding the test.
  • The measurements captured included: neck flexion and extension (bending the neck), neutral neck position, muscle activation, minimum and maximum muscle activation.
  • Quartiles of muscle activity were calculated based on each muscle’s maximum observed activity. This allowed the researchers to document how the activity level increased during the task.

Key Findings and Conclusion

  • The kinematics and overall muscle activity patterns were similar among horses and across age groups. However, the older horses showed an increase in extensor muscle activity when in the neutral position, suggesting that as horses age, their muscles require more activity to resist gravity.
  • The use of dynamic time warping revealed different temporal alignments of time series, and different temporal performances were identified among the different tasks and age groups.
  • Notably, differences between age groups arose during the flexion task, whereas extension and neutral tasks showed more similarities.
  • The study concludes that muscle adaptation strategies in horses continue well into the second half of life, even in the absence of disuse of the muscles.

Cite This Article

APA
Zsoldos RR, Krüger B, Licka TF. (2014). From maturity to old age: tasks of daily life require a different muscle use in horses. Comp Exerc Physiol, 10(2), 75-88. https://doi.org/10.3920/CEP140001

Publication

Comparative exercise physiology
ISSN: 1755-2540
NlmUniqueID: 101471477
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
Pages: 75-88

Researcher Affiliations

Zsoldos, R R
  • Movement Science Group Vienna, Clinical Department of Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
Krüger, B
  • Multimedia, Simulation and Virtual Reality Group, Institute of Computer Science II, University of Bonn, Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 144, 53113, Bonn, Germany.
Licka, T F
  • Movement Science Group Vienna, Clinical Department of Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
  • Large Animal Hospital, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Grant Funding

  • I 1532 / Austrian Science Fund FWF

References

This article includes 53 references
  1. Aagaard P, Suetta C, Caserotti P, Magnusson SP, Kjaer M. Role of the nervous system in sarcopenia and muscle atrophy with aging: strength training as a countermeasure.. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2010 Feb;20(1):49-64.
    pubmed: 20487503doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.01084.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  2. Alev K, Leisson K, Kaasik P, Jaakma U, Teet Seene T. Age-Related Changes in Myosin Light and Heavy Chain Isoforms’ Composition in Gluteus Medius Muscle of Sedentary Akhal-Teke Horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary 2011;31:650–654.
  3. d'Avella A, Saltiel P, Bizzi E. Combinations of muscle synergies in the construction of a natural motor behavior.. Nat Neurosci 2003 Mar;6(3):300-8.
    pubmed: 12563264doi: 10.1038/nn1010google scholar: lookup
  4. Blake OM, Champoux Y, Wakeling JM. Muscle coordination patterns for efficient cycling.. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2012 May;44(5):926-38.
    pubmed: 22089483doi: 10.1249/mss.0b013e3182404d4bgoogle scholar: lookup
  5. Brosnahan MM, Paradis MR. Assessment of clinical characteristics, management practices, and activities of geriatric horses.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2003 Jul 1;223(1):99-103.
    pubmed: 12839072doi: 10.2460/javma.2003.223.99google scholar: lookup
  6. Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A. Inertial properties of Dutch Warmblood horses.. J Biomech 1997 Jun;30(6):653-8.
    pubmed: 9165402doi: 10.1016/s0021-9290(97)00005-5google scholar: lookup
  7. Cecílio FA, Regalo SC, Palinkas M, Issa JP, Siéssere S, Hallak JE, Machado-de-Sousa JP, Semprini M. Ageing and surface EMG activity patterns of masticatory muscles.. J Oral Rehabil 2010 Apr;37(4):248-55.
    pubmed: 20158599doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2842.2010.02051.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  8. Christou EA, Enoka RM. Aging and movement errors when lifting and lowering light loads.. Age (Dordr) 2011 Sep;33(3):393-407.
    pmc: PMC3168598pubmed: 20945163doi: 10.1007/s11357-010-9190-4google scholar: lookup
  9. Deschenes MR. Effects of aging on muscle fibre type and size.. Sports Med 2004;34(12):809-24.
    pubmed: 15462613doi: 10.2165/00007256-200434120-00002google scholar: lookup
  10. Dunbar DC, Macpherson JM, Simmons RW, Zarcades A. Stabilization and mobility of the head, neck and trunk in horses during overground locomotion: comparisons with humans and other primates.. J Exp Biol 2008 Dec;211(Pt 24):3889-907.
    pmc: PMC2768006pubmed: 19043061doi: 10.1242/jeb.020578google scholar: lookup
  11. Edström E, Altun M, Bergman E, Johnson H, Kullberg S, Ramírez-León V, Ulfhake B. Factors contributing to neuromuscular impairment and sarcopenia during aging.. Physiol Behav 2007 Sep 10;92(1-2):129-35.
    pubmed: 17585972doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.05.040google scholar: lookup
  12. Fischer S, Nolte I, Schilling N. Adaptations in muscle activity to induced, short-term hindlimb lameness in trotting dogs.. PLoS One 2013;8(11):e80987.
    pmc: PMC3827467pubmed: 24236207doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080987google scholar: lookup
  13. Gellman KS, Bertram JE, Hermanson JW. Morphology, histochemistry, and function of epaxial cervical musculature in the horse (Equus caballus).. J Morphol 2002 Feb;251(2):182-94.
    pubmed: 11748702doi: 10.1002/jmor.1082google scholar: lookup
  14. Gellman KS, Bertram JEA. The equine nuchal ligament 1: structural and material properties. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics Traumatology 2002a;15:1–6.
  15. Gellman KS, Bertram JEA. The equine nuchal ligament 2: passive dynamic energy exchange in locomotion. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics Traumatology 2002b;15:7–14.
  16. Hug F, Turpin NA, Guével A, Dorel S. Is interindividual variability of EMG patterns in trained cyclists related to different muscle synergies?. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2010 Jun;108(6):1727-36.
    pubmed: 20299611doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01305.2009google scholar: lookup
  17. Ireland JL, Clegg PD, McGowan CM, McKane SA, Chandler KJ, Pinchbeck GL. Disease prevalence in geriatric horses in the United Kingdom: veterinary clinical assessment of 200 cases.. Equine Vet J 2012 Jan;44(1):101-6.
    pubmed: 21668494doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00361.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  18. Krishnamoorthy V, Latash ML, Scholz JP, Zatsiorsky VM. Muscle synergies during shifts of the center of pressure by standing persons.. Exp Brain Res 2003 Oct;152(3):281-92.
    pubmed: 12904934doi: 10.1007/s00221-003-1574-6google scholar: lookup
  19. Kutch JJ, Valero-Cuevas FJ. Challenges and new approaches to proving the existence of muscle synergies of neural origin.. PLoS Comput Biol 2012;8(5):e1002434.
    pmc: PMC3342930pubmed: 22570602doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002434google scholar: lookup
  20. Krueger B, Tautges J, Weber A, Zinke A. Fast local and global similarity searches in large motion capture databases. Computer Animation 2010:1–10.
  21. Laughton CA, Slavin M, Katdare K, Nolan L, Bean JF, Kerrigan DC, Phillips E, Lipsitz LA, Collins JJ. Aging, muscle activity, and balance control: physiologic changes associated with balance impairment.. Gait Posture 2003 Oct;18(2):101-8.
    pubmed: 14654213doi: 10.1016/s0966-6362(02)00200-xgoogle scholar: lookup
  22. Liburt NR, Fugaro MN, Wunderlich EK, Zambito JL, Horohov DW, Betancourt A, Boston RC, McKeever KH, Geor RJ. The effect of exercise training on insulin sensitivity and fat and muscle tissue cytokine profiles of old and young Standardbred mares. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 2011;31:237–238.
  23. Lucidi P, Bacco G, Sticco M, Mazzoleni G, Benvenuti M, Bernabò N, Trentini R. Assessment of motor laterality in foals and young horses (Equus caballus) through an analysis of derailment at trot.. Physiol Behav 2013 Jan 17;109:8-13.
    pubmed: 23201413doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.11.006google scholar: lookup
  24. Macaluso A, Nimmo MA, Foster JE, Cockburn M, McMillan NC, De Vito G. Contractile muscle volume and agonist-antagonist coactivation account for differences in torque between young and older women.. Muscle Nerve 2002 Jun;25(6):858-63.
    pubmed: 12115975doi: 10.1002/mus.10113google scholar: lookup
  25. Mau-Moeller A, Behrens M, Lindner T, Bader R, Bruhn S. Age-related changes in neuromuscular function of the quadriceps muscle in physically active adults.. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2013 Jun;23(3):640-8.
    pubmed: 23453325doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2013.01.009google scholar: lookup
  26. Mayhew IGJ. Disorders of posture and movement. In: Mayhew IGJ, editor. Large animal neurology. Wiley-Blackwell; 2009. pp. 134–137.
  27. McGuigan MP, Yoo E, Lee DV, Biewener AA. Dynamics of goat distal hind limb muscle-tendon function in response to locomotor grade.. J Exp Biol 2009 Jul;212(Pt 13):2092-104.
    pmc: PMC2702455pubmed: 19525436doi: 10.1242/jeb.028076google scholar: lookup
  28. Meigal AI, Rissanen S, Tarvainen MP, Karjalainen PA, Iudina-Vassel IA, Airaksinen O, Kankaanpää M. Novel parameters of surface EMG in patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy young and old controls.. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2009 Jun;19(3):e206-13.
    pubmed: 18407522doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2008.02.008google scholar: lookup
  29. Mesin L, Merletti R, Vieira TM. Insights gained into the interpretation of surface electromyograms from the gastrocnemius muscles: A simulation study.. J Biomech 2011 Apr 7;44(6):1096-103.
    pubmed: 21334627doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2011.01.031google scholar: lookup
  30. Morrison S, Sosnoff JJ. Age-related changes in the adaptability of neuromuscular output.. J Mot Behav 2009 May;41(3):274-83.
    pubmed: 19366659doi: 10.3200/jmbr.41.3.274-288google scholar: lookup
  31. Mueller M. Information Retrieval for Music and Motion. Springer; Heidelberg, Germany: 2007. Dynamic Time Warping; pp. 1–17.
  32. Newell RS, Blouin JS, Street J, Cripton PA, Siegmund GP. Neck posture and muscle activity are different when upside down: a human volunteer study.. J Biomech 2013 Nov 15;46(16):2837-43.
    pubmed: 24095057doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2013.08.013google scholar: lookup
  33. Orsini PG, Nassar P, Huddleston A, Pfenninger A, Wolf R, Raymond M. Muscles of Equine Neck and Shoulders. University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine 2005 Available at: http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/grossanat/largemenu/hnsdmuscle.htm.
  34. te Pas MF, Wijnberg ID, Hoekman AJ, de Graaf-Roelfsema E, Keizer HA, van Breda E, Ducro B, van der Kolk JH. Skeletal muscle transcriptome profiles related to different training intensities and detraining in Standardbred horses: a search for overtraining biomarkers.. Vet J 2013 Sep;197(3):717-23.
    pubmed: 23672815doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.03.052google scholar: lookup
  35. Perriman DM, Scarvell JM, Waddington GS, Lueck CJ, Hughes AR, Neeman TM, Smith PN. Ultrasound assessment of the anatomical validity of T3 and L4 as sEMG recording sites.. J Biomech 2011 Apr 7;44(6):1025-30.
    pubmed: 21376327doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2011.02.007google scholar: lookup
  36. Phinyomark A, Limsakul C, Phukpattaranont P. A Novel Feature Extraction for Robust EMG Pattern Recognition. Journal of Computing 2009;1:71–80.
  37. Pogorelc B, Gams M. Detecting gait-related health problems of the elderly using multidimensional dynamic time warping approach with semantic attributes. Multimedia Tools and Applications 2013;66:95–114.
  38. Pradhan GN, Engineer N, Nadin M, Prabhakaran B. Integration of Motion Capture and EMG data for Classifying the Human Motions. IEEE 23rd International Conference on Data Engineering Workshop 2007. pp. 56–63.
    doi: 10.1109/ICDEW.2007.4400973google scholar: lookup
  39. Sarabon N, Fonda B, Markovic G. Change of muscle activation patterns in uphill cycling of varying slope.. Eur J Appl Physiol 2012 Jul;112(7):2615-23.
    pubmed: 22081125doi: 10.1007/s00421-011-2236-1google scholar: lookup
  40. Silva AG, Furr MO. Diagnoses, clinical pathology findings, and treatment outcome of geriatric horses: 345 cases (2006-2010).. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2013 Dec 15;243(12):1762-8.
    pubmed: 24299549doi: 10.2460/javma.243.12.1762google scholar: lookup
  41. Singh DK, Bailey M, Lee RY. Ageing modifies the fibre angle and biomechanical function of the lumbar extensor muscles.. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2011 Jul;26(6):543-7.
    pubmed: 21392870doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2011.02.002google scholar: lookup
  42. Steiss JE, Naylor JM. Episodic muscle tremors in a quarter horse: resemblance to hyperkalemic periodic paralysis.. Can Vet J 1986 Sep;27(9):332-5.
    pmc: PMC1680300pubmed: 17422693
  43. Thibaudier Y, Hurteau MF, Telonio A, Frigon A. Coordination between the fore- and hindlimbs is bidirectional, asymmetrically organized, and flexible during quadrupedal locomotion in the intact adult cat.. Neuroscience 2013 Jun 14;240:13-26.
    pubmed: 23485807doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.02.028google scholar: lookup
  44. Ting LH, Macpherson JM. A limited set of muscle synergies for force control during a postural task.. J Neurophysiol 2005 Jan;93(1):609-13.
    pubmed: 15342720doi: 10.1152/jn.00681.2004google scholar: lookup
  45. Ting LH, Macpherson JM. Ratio of shear to load ground-reaction force may underlie the directional tuning of the automatic postural response to rotation and translation.. J Neurophysiol 2004 Aug;92(2):808-23.
    pubmed: 15084643doi: 10.1152/jn.00773.2003google scholar: lookup
  46. Torres-Oviedo G, Macpherson JM, Ting LH. Muscle synergy organization is robust across a variety of postural perturbations.. J Neurophysiol 2006 Sep;96(3):1530-46.
    pubmed: 16775203doi: 10.1152/jn.00810.2005google scholar: lookup
  47. Tsuboi H, Nishimura Y, Sakata T, Ohko H, Tanina H, Kouda K, Nakamura T, Umezu Y, Tajima F. Age-related sex differences in erector spinae muscle endurance using surface electromyographic power spectral analysis in healthy humans.. Spine J 2013 Dec;13(12):1928-33.
    pubmed: 24021621doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2013.06.060google scholar: lookup
  48. Watanabe K, Kouzaki M, Merletti R, Fujibayashi M, Moritani T. Spatial EMG potential distribution pattern of vastus lateralis muscle during isometric knee extension in young and elderly men.. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2012 Feb;22(1):74-9.
    pubmed: 21996320doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2011.09.010google scholar: lookup
  49. van Weeren PR, McGowan CM, Haussler KK. Science overview: Development of a structural and functional understanding of the equine back. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 2010;42:393–400.
  50. Wijnberg ID, Graubner C, Auriemma E, van de Belt AJ, Gerber V. Quantitative motor unit action potential analysis in 2 paraspinal neck muscles in adult Royal Dutch Sport horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2011 May-Jun;25(3):592-7.
    pubmed: 21488965doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.0724.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  51. Wijnberg ID, Schrama SE, Elgersma AE, Maree JT, de Cocq P, Back W. Quantification of surface EMG signals to monitor the effect of a Botox treatment in six healthy ponies and two horses with stringhalt: preliminary study.. Equine Vet J 2009 Mar;41(3):313-8.
    pubmed: 19469243doi: 10.2746/042516409x397361google scholar: lookup
  52. Wijnberg ID, Franssen H, van der Kolk JH. Influence of age of horse on results of quantitative electromyographic needle examination of skeletal muscles in Dutch Warmblood horses.. Am J Vet Res 2003 Jan;64(1):70-5.
    pubmed: 12518881doi: 10.2460/ajvr.2003.64.70google scholar: lookup
  53. Zsoldos RR, Kotschwar AB, Kotschwar A, Groesel M, Licka T, Peham C. Electromyography activity of the equine splenius muscle and neck kinematics during walk and trot on the treadmill.. Equine Vet J Suppl 2010 Nov;(38):455-61.
    pubmed: 21059045doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00263.xgoogle scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Zsoldos RR, Khayatzadeh N, Soelkner J, Schroeder U, Hahn C, Licka TF. Comparison of gluteus medius muscle activity in Haflinger and Noriker horses with polysaccharide storage myopathy. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2021 May;105(3):549-557.
    doi: 10.1111/jpn.13504pubmed: 33609063google scholar: lookup
  2. Haussler KK, Pool RR, Clayton HM. Characterization of bony changes localized to the cervical articular processes in a mixed population of horses. PLoS One 2019;14(9):e0222989.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222989pubmed: 31557207google scholar: lookup
  3. Valentin S, Zsoldos RR. Surface electromyography in animal biomechanics: A systematic review. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2016 Jun;28:167-83.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2015.12.005pubmed: 26763600google scholar: lookup
  4. Valentin S, Licka TF. Spinal Motion and Muscle Activity during Active Trunk Movements - Comparing Sheep and Humans Adopting Upright and Quadrupedal Postures. PLoS One 2016;11(1):e0146362.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146362pubmed: 26741136google scholar: lookup
  5. Bosch K, Zsoldos RR, Hartig A, Licka T. Motion Coupling at the Cervical Vertebral Joints in the Horse-An Ex Vivo Study Using Bone-Anchored Markers. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 1;15(15).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15152259pubmed: 40805049google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.