The Physical Activity-Dependent Hematological and Biochemical Changes in School Horses in Comparison to Blood Profiles in Endurance and Race Horses

Abstract

Blood testing is one of the most important ways to improve performance, facilitate recovery and monitor the training of endurance and race horses. However, little is known about the physical activity-dependent changes of blood parameters in horses used for pleasure and in riding schools. This study aimed to perform routine blood tests for training monitoring of sport horses in three different horse types of use. Then the values of blood indicators were compared between school, endurance and race horses to find similarities in the physical activity-dependent profile. The study was carried out on 15 endurance, 15 race and 15 school healthy horses who underwent the typical effort for their disciplines. The hemogram parameters, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood lactate (LAC), and total serum protein (TSP) concentrations were measured using the same protocol and equipment. Measurements of main hematological and biochemical physical activity-dependent parameters were conducted before, immediately after and 30 min after training. In school horses, the physical activity-dependent increase of WBC (40.9%) and CPK (76.4%) was similar to endurance horses, whereas an increase of RBC (19.1%), HGB (18.6%) and HCT (19.4%) were more similar to race horses. The moderate effort-dependent increase of LAC concentration (2775%) was lower than in race horses (7526%) and higher than in endurance horses (390%). Limiting the training or work monitoring assessment of school horses to only the endurance or racing blood profile may result in the omission of significant changes in hematological and biochemical parameters.

Selection of Image Texture Analysis and Color Model in the Advanced Image Processing of Thermal Images of Horses following Exercise

“…After effort, a horse’s body needs at least 24 h to clear the bloodstream of CPK and AST [ 4 , 16 ], excreting CPK faster than AST [ 4 ]. CPK and AST levels after effort depend on the effort intensity [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 ], conditioning and type of usage [ 61 , 62 , 65 ], as well muscle mass and composition [ 61 , 62 ]. This feature indicates their possible use in further research on increased exercise intensity.…”

The Effect of Two Acute Bouts of Exercise on Oxidative Stress, Hematological, and Biochemical Parameters, and Rectal Temperature in Trained Canicross Dogs

“…Blood collection occurred within 3 min of training, which means we may miss the transient change that is most pronounced in the first minute after the cessation of exercise ( 32 , 88 ). Dogs and horses are capable of splenic contraction during exercise as a mechanism of increasing the number of circulating red blood cells (RBCs) and the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood ( 29 , 36 , 71 , 89 ). Thus, in dogs, increases in RBC, hematocrit, and hemoglobin concentration are most commonly attributed to mobilization of RBCs from the spleen by sympathetic-induced splenic contraction, as well as exercise-induced fluid shifts, including secondary hemoconcentration due to dehydration, and exercise training ( 29 , 34 , 36 , 69 , 71 , 88 ).…”

Effects of Competitive ELISA-Positive Results of Piroplasmosis on the Performance of Endurance Horses

“…Exercise greatly increased the CK values in both groups of horses [ 42 ]. This is related to the change in permeability of the cell membrane of musculoskeletal cells due to oxidative peroxidation [ 43 , 44 ].…”