FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / J Strength Cond Res / Physiological Demands of Professional Flat and Jump Horse Ra...
Journal of strength and conditioning research2020; 34(8); 2173-2177; doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003677

Physiological Demands of Professional Flat and Jump Horse Racing.

Abstract: Kiely, M, Warrington, GD, McGoldrick, A, Pugh, J, and Cullen, S. Physiological demands of professional flat and jump horse racing. J Strength Cond Res 34(8): 2173-2177, 2020-No information is currently available on the effect of race distance on the physiological demands of jockeys. This study aimed to quantify the respective demands of short and long flat and jump race distances. Twenty professional jockeys (10 flat and 10 jump) participated in the study. The subjects initially performed a graded incremental exercise test to volitional exhaustion on a treadmill to determine the peak heart rate (HR) and blood lactate concentrations. Two competitive races (short and long) were then monitored on 2 separate occasions for each jockey type to obtain hydration, HR, blood lactate concentration, and rating of perceived exertion data. Mean distances for the 4 races were: 1,247.2 ± 184.7 m (short flat race), 2,313.4 ± 142.2 m (long flat race), 3,480.2 ± 355.3 m (short jump race), and 4,546.4 ± 194.3 m (long jump race). The mean HR for the long flat race was 151 ± 19 b·min (79 ± 11% of HRpeak), which was significantly lower than all other race distances (p = 0.000, effect size [ES] = 0.469). A longer jump race resulted in a significantly higher reported rate of perceived exertion (RPE) (14 ± 2.8) than the short jump race (11.0 ± 1.5) (p = 0.009, ES = 0.271), whereas no significant difference was revealed between peak HR responses or blood lactate concentrations when comparing other race distances (p < 0.05). The finding of this study supports previous limited research, which suggests that horse racing is a high-intensity sport, whereas RPE and mean HR fluctuate according to the race distance.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2020-08-01 PubMed ID: 32735425DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003677Google 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.

This study investigates the physical exertion experienced by professional jockeys during flat and jump horse races of varying lengths. It found that the longer the race, the higher the reported rate of perceived exertion, particularly in jump races, but the heart rate and blood lactate concentrations didn’t vary significantly between race distances.

Research Context

  • This research was conducted in the absence of any existing information on how race distances affect the physical demands on jockeys.
  • The aim was to quantify the varying impacts of short, long, flat, and jump race distances.

Research Methodology

  • Twenty professional jockeys were involved in the study, half of whom were flat racers and half were jump racers.
  • All participants first underwent an incremental exercise test on a treadmill to determine their peak heart rates and blood lactate concentrations.
  • Two competitive races – one short and one long – were then monitored for each jockey to gather data on hydration levels, heart rates, blood lactate concentration, and their subjective rating of how physically demanding they found the race (known as their Rate of Perceived Exertion, or RPE).

Research Findings

  • The average heart rate during the long flat race was significantly lower than in all other race distances.
  • A long jump race was perceived as exerting a significantly higher RPE than a short jump race, though the researchers found no significant difference between peak heart rates or blood lactate concentrations when comparing different race distances.
  • These findings are in line with previous limited research, indicating that horse racing is a high-intensity sport, and that a jockey’s perceived exertion and mean heart rate vary according to race distance.

Implications of the Research

  • This study contributes valuable new knowledge about the physical strains placed on professional jockeys.
  • The differentiated impact of race distance on jockeys’ perceived exertion, particularly in jump races, could significantly influence their performance and requires further investigation.
  • Strategies to manage these differing levels of physical demand could be developed to help jockeys maintain optimum performance across varied race lengths.

Cite This Article

APA
Kiely M, Warrington GD, McGoldrick A, Pugh J, Cullen S. (2020). Physiological Demands of Professional Flat and Jump Horse Racing. J Strength Cond Res, 34(8), 2173-2177. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003677

Publication

Journal of strength and conditioning research
ISSN: 1533-4287
NlmUniqueID: 9415084
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 34
Issue: 8
Pages: 2173-2177

Researcher Affiliations

Kiely, Michael
  • Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland.
Warrington, Giles D
  • Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
  • The Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board, Kildare, Ireland; and.
  • Health Research Institute, Educational Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
McGoldrick, Adrian
  • The Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board, Kildare, Ireland; and.
Pugh, Jennifer
  • The Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board, Kildare, Ireland; and.
Cullen, SarahJane
  • Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland.

MeSH Terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Body Weights and Measures
  • Heart Rate / physiology
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Lactic Acid / blood
  • Male
  • Physical Exertion / physiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Sports / physiology
  • Young Adult

References

This article includes 27 references
  1. Bangsbo J, Mohr M, Krustrup P. Physical and metabolic demands of training and match-play in the elite football player.. J Sports Sci 24: 665–674, 2006.
  2. Borg G. Borg's percieved exertion and pain scales.. Med Sci Sport Exerc 14: 377–381, 1982.
  3. Cohen J. Analysis of variance and covariance.. In: Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioural Sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988. pp. 284–287.
  4. Cullen S, O'Loughlin G, McGoldrick A. Physiological demands of flat horse racing jockeys.. J Strength Cond Res 29: 3060–3066, 2015.
  5. Day ML, McGuigan MR, Brice G, Foster C. Monitoring exercise intensity during resistance training using the session RPE sclae.. J Strength Cond Res 18: 353–358, 2004.
  6. Dolan E, O'Connor H, McGoldrick A. Nutritional, lifestyle, and weight control practices of professional jockeys.. J Sports Sci 29: 791–799, 2011.
  7. Duffield R, Dawson B, Goodman C. Energy system contribution to 400-m and 800-m track running.. J Sports Sci 23: 1–31, 2005.
  8. Gabbett TJ. GPS analysis of elite women's field hockey training and competition.. J Strength Cond Res 24: 1321–1324, 2010.
  9. Gastin PB. Energy system interaction and relative contribution during maximal exercise.. Sports Med 31: 725–741, 2001.
  10. Gilgen-Ammann R, Schweizer T, Wyss T. RR interval signal quality of a heart rate monitor and an ECG Holter at rest and during exercise.. Eur J Appl Physiol 119: 1525–1532, 2019.
  11. Herman L, Foster C, Maher M, Mikat R, Porcari J. Validity and reliability of the session RPE method for monitoring exercise training intensity.. South Afr J Sport Med 18: 14, 2006.
  12. Hitchens P, Blizzard L, Jones G, Day L, Fell J. Are physiological attributes of jockeys predictors of falls? A pilot study.. Br Med J 1: 1–7, 2011.
  13. Kiely M, Warrington G, McGoldrick A, Cullen S. Physiological and performance monitoring in competitive sporting environments.. Strength Cond J 41: 62–74, 2019.
  14. Kiely M, Warrington G, McGoldrick A, Pugh G, Cullen S. Physical preparation strategies of professional jockeys.. J Strength Cond Res 2020. Epub ahead of print.
  15. Kiely M, Warrington GD, McGoldrick A, O'Loughlin G, Cullen S. Physiological demands of daily riding gaits in jockeys.. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 59: 394–398, 2019.
  16. Murray B. Hydration and physical performance on physiological function.. J Am Coll Nutr 26: 542–548, 2007.
  17. O'Reilly J, Cheng HL, Poon ETC. New insights in professional horse racing; “in-race” heart rate data, elevated fracture risk, hydration, nutritional and lifestyle analysis of elite professional jockeys.. J Sports Sci 35: 441–448, 2017.
  18. Oppliger R, Bartok C. Hydration testing for athletes.. Sports Med 32: 959–971, 2002.
  19. Pescatello LS, Riebe D, Thompson PD. Health related physical fitness testing and interpretation.. In: ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2014. pp. 60–62.
  20. Reilly B, Akubat I, Lyons M, Collins DK. Match-play demands of elite youth gaelic football using global positioning system tracking.. J Strength Cond Res 29: 989–996, 2015.
  21. Roberts M, Shearman J, Marlin D. A comparison of the metabolic cost of the three phases of the one-day event in female collegiate riders.. Comp Exerc Physiol 6: 129–135, 2009.
  22. Rodríguez-Marroyo JA, García-López J, Juneau CÉ, Villa JG. Workload demands in professional multi-stage cycling races of varying duration.. Br J Sports Med 43: 180–185, 2009.
  23. Santos DA, Silva AM, Matias CN. Validity of a combined heart rate and motion sensor for the measurement of free-living energy expenditure in very active individuals.. J Sci Med Sport 17: 387–393, 2014.
  24. Sleivert GG, Rowlands DS. Physical and physiological factors associated with success in the triathlon.. Sports Med 22: 8–18, 1996.
  25. Sperlich B, Achtzehn S, Buhr M. Salivary cortisol, heart rate, and blood lactate responses during elite downhill mountain bike racing.. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 7: 47–52, 2012.
  26. Trowbridge EA, Cotterill JV, Crofts CE. The physical demands of riding in National Hunt races.. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 70: 66–69, 1995.
  27. Wilson G, Sparks A, Drust B, Morton JP, Close GL. Assessment of energy expenditure in elite jockeys during simulated race-riding and a working day: Implications for making-weight.. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 38: 1–25, 2012.

Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
  1. Legg K, Cochrane D, Gee E, Macdermid P, Rogers C. Physiological Demands and Muscle Activity of Jockeys in Trial and Race Riding. Animals (Basel) 2022 Sep 8;12(18).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12182351pubmed: 36139208google scholar: lookup
  2. Ryan K, Brodine J. Weight-Making Practices Among Jockeys: An Update and Review of the Emergent Scientific Literature. Open Access J Sports Med 2021;12:87-98.
    doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S235143pubmed: 34267562google scholar: lookup
  3. Di Tocco J, Sabbadini R, Raiano L, Fani F, Ripani S, Schena E, Formica D, Massaroni C. Breath-Jockey: Development and Feasibility Assessment of a Wearable System for Respiratory Rate and Kinematic Parameter Estimation for Gallop Athletes. Sensors (Basel) 2020 Dec 29;21(1).
    doi: 10.3390/s21010152pubmed: 33383689google scholar: lookup
  4. Legg KA, Cochrane DJ, Gee EK, Chin YY, Rogers CW. Relationship between experience and head kinematics in race riding jockeys. Sci Rep 2025 Apr 26;15(1):14686.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-98683-9pubmed: 40287497google scholar: lookup
  5. Wang J, Ren W, Li Z, Li L, Wang R, Ma S, Zeng Y, Meng J, Yao X. Plasma Lipidomics and Proteomics Analyses Pre- and Post-5000 m Race in Yili Horses. Animals (Basel) 2025 Mar 30;15(7).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15070994pubmed: 40218387google scholar: lookup
  6. Piccione G, Arfuso F, Giudice E, Aragona F, Pugliatti P, Panzera MF, Zumbo A, Monteverde V, Bartolo V, Barbera A, Giannetto C. Dynamic Adaptation of Hematological Parameters, Albumin, and Non-Esterified Fatty Acids in Saddlebred and Standardbred Horses During Exercise. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 21;15(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15030300pubmed: 39943070google scholar: lookup
  7. Farley A, Bennett H, Eston R, Perry R. Cardiac Structure and Function of Elite Australian Jockeys Compared to the General Population: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study. Sports Med Open 2024 Nov 5;10(1):119.
    doi: 10.1186/s40798-024-00783-9pubmed: 39499420google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,383 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.