Optimal active recovery intensity in standardbreds after submaximal work.

The research seeks to determine the optimal recovery intensity for trotter horses after submaximal exercise. It found that a recovery protocol involving a fast 10-minute trot (which corresponds to about 65-70% of the horses’ maximum heart rate) was most effective in reducing heart rate and blood lactate concentrations.

Objective and Methodology

• The objective of the study was to compare different recovery intensities and find the most efficient one for trotters following a submaximal exercise.
• The researchers conducted the experiment on 37 standardbred trotter horses, which they divided randomly into four groups, each involving a different recovery strategy: passive recovery, 10-minute walk recovery (speed: 100 m/min), 10-minute slow trot recovery (speed: 250 m/min), and 10-minute fast trot recovery (speed: 420 m/min).
• Body metrics such as heart rate, blood lactate concentration, respiratory frequency, and rectal temperature were measured before, during, and an hour after the exercise. In addition, the level of creatine kinase, an enzyme indicative of muscle damage, was also measured 1, 3, and 5 hours after the exercise.

Results

• The study found that the walking, slow trot, and fast trot recovery intensities correspondent to 45-50%, 55-60%, and 65-70% of the maximum heart rate (HR), respectively.
• Both the heart rate and blood lactate concentration were significantly lower after the 10-second recovery with increasing intensity of recovery, pointing to better recovery and clearance of metabolic waste products.
• The most efficient method of recovery was found to be the fast trot recovery, which allowed for optimal blood lactate disappearance, implying that the body was effectively clearing lactate, a by-product of anaerobic metabolism, from the blood.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that increasing the intensity of recovery exercise after races to around 65-70% of horses’ maximum HR may enhance recovery efficiency.
• This insight may allow trainers and caregivers to introduce more effective post-race routines to assist the horses in returning to a resting physiological state more swiftly, thus promoting their overall health and potential for performance.