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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Respiratory responses to exercise in the horse.
Equine veterinary journal2012; 44(6); 726-732; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00666.x

Respiratory responses to exercise in the horse.

Abstract: Horses are elite athletes when compared with other mammalian species. In the latter, performance is limited by cardiovascular or musculoskeletal performance whereas in athletic horses it is the respiratory system that appears to be rate limiting and virtually all horses exercising at high intensities become hypoxaemic and hypercapnoeic. This is due to both diffusion limitation and a level of ventilation inadequate for the metabolic level that enables horses to exercise at these intensities. In conjunction with these blood gas changes, total pulmonary resistance increases and the work of breathing rises exponentially and airflow eventually plateaus despite increases in inspiratory and expiratory intrapleural pressures. Horses breathe at comparatively high frequencies when galloping due to the tight 1:1 coupling of strides to breathing. Whether this effects gas exchange and, if so, to what extent, has not been fully elucidated.
© 2012 EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2012-10-31 PubMed ID: 23106622DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00666.xGoogle 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 paper is about the study of respiratory responses in horses during exercise, emphasizing that unlike other mammals, it’s the respiratory system rather than cardiovascular or musculoskeletal performance that limits an athletic horse’s performance.

Overview of the Research

  • The paper delves into the respiratory system of horses – athletic/exercising horses specifically. Researchers showed that the performance of athletic horses is limited by their respiratory system, contradicting the common limiting factors in other mammals, which are cardiovascular or musculoskeletal performance.
  • The study investigates the occurrences of hypoxaemia and hypercapnoea in horses exercising at high intensities, attributing these conditions to diffusion limitations and a level of ventilation inadequate for the metabolic intensity of horses exercising at these levels.

In-depth Findings

  • With increases in exercise intensity in horses, the study discovered that there are blood gas changes, an increase in total pulmonary resistance, and a significant increase in the work of breathing. Eventually, airflow plateaus despite increases in inspiratory and expiratory intrapleural pressures.
  • The pattern of breath in horses, especially when galloping, was also a point of focus in the research. The paper suggests that horses breathe at relatively high frequencies when galloping due to the 1:1 coupling of strides to breathing.

Remaining Questions

  • The research concludes by recognizing an unanswered question: the specific effect of the 1:1 coupling of strides to breathing on gas exchange and its extent. The research indicates that this particular aspect has not yet been fully understood or explained.

Cite This Article

APA
Franklin SH, Van Erck-Westergren E, Bayly WM. (2012). Respiratory responses to exercise in the horse. Equine Vet J, 44(6), 726-732. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00666.x

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 44
Issue: 6
Pages: 726-732

Researcher Affiliations

Franklin, S H
  • School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Van Erck-Westergren, E
    Bayly, W M

      MeSH Terms

      • Animals
      • Exercise Test
      • Horses / physiology
      • Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
      • Respiratory Physiological Phenomena

      Citations

      This article has been cited 12 times.
      1. Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Conturba B, Bozzola C, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Associations between Medical Disorders and Racing Outcomes in Poorly Performing Standardbred Trotter Racehorses: A Retrospective Study.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 9;13(16).
        doi: 10.3390/ani13162569pubmed: 37627359google scholar: lookup
      2. Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Conturba B, Stancari G, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Medical causes of poor performance and their associations with fitness in Standardbred racehorses.. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jul-Aug;37(4):1514-1527.
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        doi: 10.3390/ani12223228pubmed: 36428455google scholar: lookup
      5. Lo Feudo CM, Stancari G, Collavo F, Stucchi L, Conturba B, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Upper and Lower Airways Evaluation and Its Relationship with Dynamic Upper Airway Obstruction in Racehorses.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jun 17;12(12).
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      8. Fitzharris LE, Hezzell MJ, McConnell AK, Allen KJ. Training the equine respiratory muscles: Ultrasonographic measurement of muscle size.. Equine Vet J 2023 Mar;55(2):295-305.
        doi: 10.1111/evj.13598pubmed: 35575148google scholar: lookup
      9. Vergara-Hernandez FB, Nielsen BD, Robison CI, Fabus TA, Kompare JL, LeCompte Lazić RA, Colbath AC. Average stride length and stride rate of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses during racing.. Transl Anim Sci 2022 Jan;6(1):txab233.
        doi: 10.1093/tas/txab233pubmed: 35198858google scholar: lookup
      10. Santosuosso E, Leguillette R, Vinardell T, Filho S, Massie S, McCrae P, Johnson S, Rolian C, David F. Kinematic Analysis During Straight Line Free Swimming in Horses: Part 2 - Hindlimbs.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:761500.
        doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.761500pubmed: 35174237google scholar: lookup
      11. Cercone M, Hokanson CM, Olsen E, Ducharme NG, Mitchell LM, Piercy RJ, Cheetham J. Asymmetric recurrent laryngeal nerve conduction velocities and dorsal cricoarytenoid muscle electromyographic characteristics in clinically normal horses.. Sci Rep 2019 Feb 25;9(1):2713.
        doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-39189-zpubmed: 30804428google scholar: lookup
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        doi: 10.3390/ani7060041pubmed: 28587125google scholar: lookup
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