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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability of Amateur Show Jumpin...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(3); doi: 10.3390/ani11030693

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability of Amateur Show Jumping Horses Competing on Different Levels.

Abstract: Heart rate is one of the gold standards used to assess the workload level and fitness of horses. However, when slight differences need to be detected, it is not sensitive enough. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the effect of competition level and phase of exercise on the heart rate and heart rate variability parameters in show jumpers. Fourteen horses were examined competing on three different levels: 100 cm (n = 4), 120 cm (n = 6), and 130 cm (n = 4). The length of work (min); average and maximum heart rate; average, maximum and minimum RR intervals (ms); SD1 and SD2 (ms); RMSSD (ms) and pNN50 (%); VLF, LF, HF (%) were analyzed. The measurement was divided into four phases: warm-up, resting period, show jumping course riding, and cool-down. The level of the course had no significant effect on average and maximum heart rates throughout the entire exercise. The maximum RR interval, RMSSD, pNN50, SD1, and %VLF values were significantly different (p < 0.05) in horses competing at 100 cm height from those competing in the 120 cm group. The SD1 value was sensitive for the level of competition, while the SD2 parameter was sensitive for detecting exercise phases. In conclusion, heart rate variability parameters are more sensitive for detecting smaller differences in workload than heart rate alone in lower-level show jumpers.
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Publication Date: 2021-03-04 PubMed ID: 33806684PubMed Central: PMC7999284DOI: 10.3390/ani11030693Google 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 focuses on examining the effect of competition level and exercise phase on the heart rate and heart rate variability parameters in amateur show jumping horses through the means of RMSSD, pNN50, VLF, LF, HF.

Observations and Methodology

  • The study involved the assessment of 14 show jumping horses, participating at three different competition difficulty levels, namely 100 cm, 120 cm, and 130 cm; animal numbers for each group were 4, 6, and 4 respectively.
  • Several parameters, such as the length of work, average and maximum heart rate, RR intervals (representing time duration between successive heartbeats), RMSSD, pNN50, VLF, LF, HF were analysed.
  • The measurement was split into four phases: warm-up, resting period, show jumping course riding, and cool-down.

Results

  • The data demonstrated that the performance level of the course did not significantly affect average and maximum heart rates throughout the complete exercise.
  • Differential findings were observed in horses competing at 100 cm height from those competing in the 120 cm group. The maximum RR interval, RMSSD, pNN50, SD1, and %VLF values were significantly different in between the two groups, indicating a different level of workload and physical stress.
  • The SD1 value, a time-domain parameter that measures the width of the Poincaré plot (a graphical representation of the correlation between consecutive RR intervals), was sensitive for the level of competition.
  • The SD2 parameter, a time-domain measure that assesses the length of the Poincaré plot, was helpful for detecting various exercise phases.

Conclusion

  • The conclusions drawn from the research suggest that heart rate variability parameters serve as sensitive indicators for detecting smaller differences in workload than heart rate alone, essentially in lower-level jumpers.
  • This could help in appropriately understanding the physical capabilities and limitations of the horses, therefore helping in designing training programs that are tailored to the individual horse’s needs, potentially reducing the risk of injury or over-exertion.

Cite This Article

APA
Szabó C, Vizesi Z, Vincze A. (2021). Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability of Amateur Show Jumping Horses Competing on Different Levels. Animals (Basel), 11(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030693

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 3

Researcher Affiliations

Szabó, Csaba
  • Department of Feed and Food Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi út 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
Vizesi, Zsolt
  • Department of Feed and Food Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi út 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
Vincze, Anikó
  • Department of Hippology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Szent István University Kaposvár Campus, Guba Sándor 40, 7400 Kaposvár, Hungary.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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