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The incidence and severity of gastric ulceration does not increase in overtrained Standardbred horses.
Abstract: Gastric ulceration can be caused by different pathophysiological mechanisms including dietary factors, psychological stress and exercise. Overtraining is a medical syndrome in performance horses associated with altered hormone levels, altered feed intake, altered behaviour and decreased performance. These components might lead to a higher incidence of gastric ulceration in overtrained horses. Objective: To investigate whether the incidence of gastric ulceration is increased in overtrained compared to control horses. Methods: A longitudinal training study with twelve 1.5 years old Standardbred horses was performed on a treadmill for a total of 32 weeks. Training was divided into 4 periods: (1) acclimatisation (2) training (3) intensified training, and (4) detraining. In period 3, the horses were randomly divided into 2 groups: control (C) and intensified trained group (IT). At the end of each period, gastroscopy was performed in conscious horses after withholding feed for 12 h and water for 6 h using a 3.5 m video gastroendoscope. Lesion scores were assigned to areas of the stomach and graded 1-4. Logistic regression was used for statistical calculations. Results: Evaluation of the stomach revealed only minor changes (grades 1 or 2) on each occasion. There were no significant differences in gastric lesion scores between groups or periods. Most lesions (70%) were found around the minor curvature. After detraining no lesions (0%) were found in contrast to periods 1 (40%, P = 0.056), 2 (30%) and 3 (30%). Conclusions: Experimentally-induced overtraining does not increase the incidence of gastric ulceration in normally fed Standardbred horses and detraining appears to reduce gastric ulceration.
© 2010 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2011-05-27 PubMed ID: 21058983DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00268.xGoogle 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.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The study investigates whether overtraining increases the risk of gastric ulcers in Standardbred horses. The findings show that experimental overtraining does not raise the incidence of these ulcers in the fed horses and that detraining seems to decrease ulceration.
Objective and Methodology
The goal of the research was to evaluate the impact of overtraining on the incidence of gastric ulceration in performance horses. The researchers focused on how altered hormone levels, behavioral changes, variations in feed intake, and poor performance associated with overtraining could stimulate gastric ulceration.
- The study included 12 Standardbred horses aged 1.5 years, tested on a treadmill for 32 weeks. These weeks were split into four phases: acclimatization, training, intensified training, and detraining.
- During the intensified training period, the horses were randomly assigned to two groups: control (C) and intensified training group (IT).
- At the end of each phase, the horses were subjected to gastroscopy after 12 hours without food and 6 hours without water. The gastroscopy was carried out using a 3.5m video gastroendoscope, and lesion scores were provided for stomach areas, graded 1-4 (from minor to major).
- Statistical calculations were handled with logistic regression.
Results
The study’s results indicated that overtraining does not significantly increase the incidence or severity of gastric ulceration in Standardbred horses.
- Most lesions (70%) appeared around the minor curvature of the stomach.
- The stomach evaluation showed minor changes (grades 1 or 2) throughout. There were no significant differences in gastric ulcer scores between the groups or training periods.
- Interestingly, after the detraining period, no lesions were found in any horse, contrasting with the first (40%), second (30%), and third (30%) periods. This suggests that detraining may reduce gastric ulceration in these horses.
Conclusion
The research concluded that there was no direct link between overtraining and increased gastric ulceration in Standardbred horses. The study’s findings challenge the prevailing belief that the added stress of overtraining usually escalates the potential for gastric ulceration. Moreover, the results highlighted the value of detraining, which seemed to reduce the chance of developing this condition while providing a recovery time, helping to preserve animal health.
Cite This Article
APA
De Graaf-Roelfsema E, Keizer HA, Wijnberg ID, Van Der Kolk JH.
(2011).
The incidence and severity of gastric ulceration does not increase in overtrained Standardbred horses.
Equine Vet J Suppl(38), 58-61.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00268.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. e.roelfsema@uu.nl
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Stomach Ulcer / etiology
- Stomach Ulcer / pathology
- Stomach Ulcer / veterinary
- Stress, Psychological
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Shephard RJ. Peptic Ulcer and Exercise. Sports Med 2017 Jan;47(1):33-40.
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