Muscle biopsy as a tool for assessing muscular adaptation to training in horses.
Abstract: To describe an applied method for quantitative estimation of training condition in horses. Methods: 17 sedentary adult (5 to 14 years old) stallions of several breeds endurance trained for 3 months. Methods: Muscle biopsy specimens from 2 depths (20 and 60 mm) of the gluteus medius muscle were obtained before and after training and were analyzed for fiber type distribution, mean cross-sectional area, relative fiber area, and mean number of capillaries in contact with each fiber type relative to their mean area. Fiber types were designated as types 1, 2A, and 2B (high, low, and moderate myosin ATPase activities at pH 4.5, respectively). Data were subjected to discriminant and principal component analyses. Results: 77% of the observations were correctly discriminated according to training condition of horses by use of discriminant analyses when histochemical and morphometric data from the 2 muscle biopsy specimens were used. Principal component analysis indicated that the most efficient variables describing muscular adaptation to training are fiber area and number of capillaries in contact with type-1 and type-2A fibers, particularly from the deepest sampling site of the muscle. Conclusions: It is possible to satisfactorily classify an individual horse in a given training category on the basis of a physiologic muscle index. Conclusions: These methods could become a useful aid for evaluation of the individual horse's response to training.
Publication Date: 1996-10-01 PubMed ID: 8896675
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The researchers have done a study to assess how effectively muscle biopsies can be used to analyse the training progress of horses. The study showed that muscle biopsies, especially those obtained from deeper in the horse’s muscles, can provide crucial data around the horse’s adaptation to training protocols.
Study Overview and Methodology
- The study used 17 sedentary adult stallions of various breeds, aged between 5 and 14 years old.
- All of them were made to undergo endurance training for a duration of 3 months.
- Detailed muscle biopsies were taken from two depths in the Gluteus Medius muscle of the horses – one at 20mm and the other at 60mm depth. This allowed the researchers to compare results between superficial and deeper muscle tissues.
- The muscle biopsies underwent thorough analysis for revealing several properties, such as fiber type distribution, average cross-sectional area, the proportionate area of different types of fiber, and the number of capillaries that came into contact with each fiber type, given their average area.
- The muscle fibers were categorized as types 1, 2A, and 2B, depending on the activities of myosin ATPase at pH 4.5.
- Data collected from the study was subjected to statistical analysis termed ‘discriminant’ and ‘principal component analyses’ which help in understanding the relationship between different data sets and their influence on a given outcome.
Results and Implications
- Based on the discriminant analyses, the study could accurately figure out the training condition of horses in 77% of the observations taken from the two muscle biopsy specimens.
- The principal component analysis indicated that the key factors indicating muscular adaptation to training include the area of fiber and the number of capillaries in contact with type-1 and 2A fibers.
- The findings also showed that the muscle biopsies taken from the deeper parts of the muscle tissue provided more helpful information regarding the training adaptation.
- The researchers concluded that muscle biopsies could be used as an effective tool to evaluate an individual horse’s response to training and categorize it according to its training condition.
- This study presents the potential for muscle biopsies to become a valuable aid in understanding how horses respond to training and potentially informing adjustments to training protocols to better suit individual horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Rivero JL.
(1996).
Muscle biopsy as a tool for assessing muscular adaptation to training in horses.
Am J Vet Res, 57(10), 1412-1416.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Comparative Anatomy and Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Cordoba, Spain.
MeSH Terms
- Acclimatization
- Animals
- Biopsy / methods
- Biopsy / veterinary
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / cytology
- Muscle, Skeletal / cytology
- Muscle, Skeletal / physiology
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- de Meeûs d'Argenteuil C, Boshuizen B, Oosterlinck M, van de Winkel D, De Spiegelaere W, de Bruijn CM, Goethals K, Vanderperren K, Delesalle CJG. Flexibility of equine bioenergetics and muscle plasticity in response to different types of training: An integrative approach, questioning existing paradigms. PLoS One 2021;16(4):e0249922.
- Gondim FJ, Modolo LV, Campos GE, Salgado I. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase is heterogeneously distributed in equine myofibers and highly expressed in endurance trained horses. Can J Vet Res 2005 Jan;69(1):46-52.
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