Muscle glycogen depletion and subsequent replenishment affect anaerobic capacity of horses.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of muscle glycogen depletion and subsequent replenishment on anaerobic capacity of horses. In a blinded crossover study, seven fit horses performed glycogen-depleting exercise on two occasions. Horses were infused after glycogen-depleting exercise with either 6 g/kg body wt of glucose as a 13.5% solution in 0.9% NaCl (Glu) or with 0.9% NaCl (Sal) of equivalent volume. Subsequently, horses performed a high-speed exercise test (120% of maximal rate of oxygen consumption) to estimate maximum accumulated oxygen deficit. Replenishment of muscle glycogen was greater (P < 0.05) in Glu [from 24.7 +/- 7.2 (SE) to 116.5 +/- 7 mmol/kg wet wt before and after infusion, respectively] than in Sal (from 23.4 +/- 7.2 to 47.8 +/- 5.7 mmol/kg wet wt before and after infusion, respectively). Run time to fatigue during the high-speed exercise test (97.3 +/- 8.2 and 70.8 +/- 8.3 s, P < 0.05), maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (105.7 +/- 9.3 and 82.4 +/- 10.3 ml O(2) equivalent/kg, P < 0.05), and blood lactate concentration at the end of the high-speed exercise test (11.1 +/- 1.4 and 9.2 +/- 3.7 mmol/l, P < 0.05) were greater for Glu than for Sal, respectively. We concluded that decreased availability of skeletal muscle glycogen stores diminishes anaerobic power generation and capacity for high-intensity exercise in horses.
Publication Date: 2001-09-25 PubMed ID: 11568163DOI: 10.1152/jappl.2001.91.4.1782Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research investigates the impact of muscle glycogen depletion and replenishment on the anaerobic capacity of horses. The findings show that reduced availability of glycogen in horses’ muscles lessens their anaerobic power and capacity for high-intensity exercise.
Research Methodology
- The study used a blinded crossover design where seven fit horses were made to undergo glycogen-depleting exercise on two separate occasions.
- Following the glycogen-depleting exercise, the horses were infused either with 6 g/kg body weight of glucose as a 13.5% solution in 0.9% NaCl, referred to in the study as Glu, or with 0.9% NaCl of equivalent volume, referred to as Sal.
- Subsequent to this infusion, the horses underwent a high-speed exercise test. This test was conducted at 120% of the horses’ maximum rate of oxygen consumption to estimate the maximum accumulated oxygen deficit.
Research Findings
- The replenishment of muscle glycogen was significantly higher in the Glu group than the Sal group. For the Glu group, the glycogen level rose from 24.7 +/- 7.2 (SE) to 116.5 +/- 7 mmol/kg wet weight, whereas for the Sal group, the level only rose from 23.4 +/- 7.2 to 47.8 +/- 5.7 mmol/kg wet weight.
- Regarding run time to fatigue during the high-speed exercise test, the Glu group showed longer durability (97.3 +/- 8.2 seconds) compared to the Sal group (70.8 +/- 8.3 seconds).
- The Glu group also had a higher maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (105.7 +/- 9.3 ml O2 equivalent/kg), while the Sal group recorded only 82.4 +/- 10.3 ml O2 equivalent/kg.
- Finally, blood lactate concentration at the end of the high-speed exercise test was higher for the Glu group than the Sal group.
Conclusion
- The results of the study conclude that the availability of skeletal muscle glycogen stores significantly affect anaerobic power generation and the capacity for high-intensity exercise in horses.
- Therefore, ensuring appropriate glycogen levels in horses is pertinent, especially before conducting high-intensity tasks or activities.
Cite This Article
APA
Lacombe VA, Hinchcliff KW, Geor RJ, Baskin CR.
(2001).
Muscle glycogen depletion and subsequent replenishment affect anaerobic capacity of horses.
J Appl Physiol (1985), 91(4), 1782-1790.
https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2001.91.4.1782 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 601 Tharp St., Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Anaerobic Threshold / physiology
- Animals
- Blood Glucose / metabolism
- Body Weight / physiology
- Calorimetry, Indirect
- Female
- Glucose / metabolism
- Glycogen / metabolism
- Hematocrit
- Horses / physiology
- Kinetics
- Male
- Muscle Fatigue / physiology
- Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
- Oxygen Consumption / physiology
- Physical Exertion / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Tabozzi SA, Stancari G, Zucca E, Tajoli M, Stucchi L, Lafortuna CL, Ferrucci F. Variation of skeletal muscle ultrasound imaging intensity in horses after treadmill exercise: a proof of concept for glycogen content estimation. BMC Vet Res 2021 Mar 16;17(1):121.
- Ebert M, Moore-Colyer MJS. The energy requirements of racehorses in training. Transl Anim Sci 2020 Oct;4(4):txaa196.
- Wang W, Mukai K, Takahashi K, Ohmura H, Takahashi T, Hatta H, Kitaoka Y. Short-term hypoxic training increases monocarboxylate transporter 4 and phosphofructokinase activity in Thoroughbreds. Physiol Rep 2020 Jun;8(11):e14473.
- Klein DJ, McKeever KH, Mirek ET, Anthony TG. Metabolomic Response of Equine Skeletal Muscle to Acute Fatiguing Exercise and Training. Front Physiol 2020;11:110.
- Connysson M, Muhonen S, Jansson A. Road transport and diet affect metabolic response to exercise in horses. J Anim Sci 2017 Nov;95(11):4869-4879.
- Lacombe VA. Expression and regulation of facilitative glucose transporters in equine insulin-sensitive tissue: from physiology to pathology. ISRN Vet Sci 2014;2014:409547.
- McCoy AM, Schaefer R, Petersen JL, Morrell PL, Slamka MA, Mickelson JR, Valberg SJ, McCue ME. Evidence of positive selection for a glycogen synthase (GYS1) mutation in domestic horse populations. J Hered 2014 Mar-Apr;105(2):163-72.
- Pratt-Phillips S. Effect of Exercise Conditioning on Countering the Effects of Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Horses-A Review. Animals (Basel) 2024 Feb 26;14(5).
- Valberg SJ, Velez-Irizarry D, Williams ZJ, Pagan JD, Mesquita V, Waldridge B, Maresca-Fichter H. Novel Expression of GLUT3, GLUT6 and GLUT10 in Equine Gluteal Muscle Following Glycogen-Depleting Exercise: Impact of Dietary Starch and Fat. Metabolites 2023 Jun 1;13(6).
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