Modulating effects of exercise training regimen on skeletal muscle properties in female polo ponies

Abstract

BackgroundThe match play patterns in equestrian polo are unique and require specific training programs to ensure sport performance. The effect of commonly used exercise training regimens on the adaptation of skeletal muscle is unclear. The present study investigated the modulating effects of the classic training regimen, comprised of aerobic exercise training with increasing exercise intensities and varying duration combined with match play, on the properties of muscle in polo ponies. Nine healthy adult female polo ponies were subjected to four consecutive subsets of 1 year classic training regimen including basal activity (B), low intensity (L), low to moderate intensity (LM), and low to moderate intensity training plus match play during polo tournament (LMP), respectively. At the end of each training period, gluteus medius muscle samples were taken for determination of muscle fiber type distribution, muscle metabolic capacity, capillary density, and lipid and glycogen content. The expression profile of metabolic genes including succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), phosphofructokinase (PFK), glycogen phosphorylase (PYG), and glycogen synthase (GYS) were also measured.ResultsAmong all exercise training subsets, only LMP exercise period caused an increase in the number of oxidative fibers (type IIa), along with increases in properties related to oxidative metabolism including high capillary density, intramuscular lipid content, and expression of SDH and PYG genes, with a corresponding decrease in the number of type IIx muscle fibers.ConclusionThe combination of low to moderate and high intensity training in LMP are only sufficient to induce changes in oxidative characteristics. As the first scientific evidence providing such insight about the classic polo training regimen, the data forms a basis for further consideration in training program design.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-016-0874-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A single bout of high‐intensity exercise modulates the expression of vitamin D receptor and vitamin D‐metabolising enzymes in horse skeletal muscle

“…The classification of exercise intensity used in this study was adopted from ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription 21 . The intensity of exercise was determined using measured heart rate and expressed as a percentage of maximal heart rate (%HR max ) based on regression analysis 22,23 . In this study, the exercise protocol was designed to achieve the heart rate criteria of high‐intensity exercise, defined as 77%‐93% of HR max .…”

Distance, Speed and High Intensity Characteristics of 0 to 24-Goal, Mixed and Women’s Polo

“…The purpose of this data collection was to curate a large and transparent dataset to provide detailed quantification of each level of Polo played. The ability of this dataset to differentiate the characteristics of play between mixed and women's only Polo is a point of difference over previously published acute works [2][3][4].…”

“…Global positioning systems (GPS) use in Polo is in its infancy, with previous literature utilizing GPS datasets to inform training programs [2] and assess one-off high goal match demands [3,4]. Currently the largest dataset to have employed GPS within Polo comes from a reliability study [5], which assessed 37 unique horse-rider interactions.…”

The Spatiotemporal Characteristics of 0–24-Goal Polo

“…From a training perspective, this suggests that as players improve their handicap and play in higher goal Polo matches, there needs to be accompanying improvements in pony fitness and anaerobic capacity. However, there is a documented tendency towards aerobic development in Polo training programs [23], which may alter muscle fiber types to become more oxidative in nature, even within the competition phase of the Polo season [23]. Based upon the somewhat linear relationship between cumulative player handicap, high-intensity demands (Table 3) and time spent in speed zones 4 and 5 (Table 2), we recommend the incorporation of high-intensity interval training, a strategy that has been shown to be effective in thoroughbred race ponies [24], in Polo training programs, although aerobic training should not be neglected as chukka lengths in the present study ranged from 6:33 to 19:27 (min:sec).…”