Cardiac, respiratory and thermoregulation parameters following graded exercises in Lipizzaner horses

Čebulj-Kadunc, Nina (author), Frangež, Robert (author), Žgajnar, Jaka (author), Kruljc, Peter (author)

The sport results or exercise achievements of Lipizzaner horses are rarely considered, as their involvement in equestrian sports is rare. As a result, norms for evaluation of their fitness level during training or performance have not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to determine the basal values of various physiological parameters (heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), body and skin temperatures) and their acclimatisation to a graded exercise load. The study was performed with a group of 6 purebred Lipizzaner horses with an average age of 9 years. It consisted of two trials (spring, autumn) of exercise test, including lunging at a walk, trot and canter. The physiological values were measured before and after exercise, and were within the normal ranges for warm-blooded horses in both trials. A gradual increase in HR and significant positive correlations between HR and speed were determined in the Lipizzaners during the exercise tests in both trials, which was followed by a gradual increase in RR, rectal temperature and the skin temperature in various body regions. The time to reach resting HR after exercise was longer in spring than in autumn. Resting RRs and rectal temperatures were reached at the time to reach resting HR. Differences between the resting skin temperatures of various body regions were determined in both trials. Following the exercise test, the skin temperatures of all regions were significantly higher when compared to the resting values, and decreased thereafter during the recovery time in autumn, but remained almost unchanged in spring. The study contributes to knowledge about thermoregulation and the response of the cardiovascular and respiratory parameters of horses. The results are not only a presentation of physiological responses to graded exercise in Lipizzaner horses, but may be accepted as an important contribution to sports physiology and medical knowledge about horses in general, representing a basis for further research in the field of exercise tests and sports medicine

• Language: English
• Keywords: horses, heart rate, thermoregulation, exercise test
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2019
• Number of pages: Str. 11-23
• Numbering: Vol. 89, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-108884
• UDC: 636.1.09:612
• ISSN on article: 0372-5480
• DOI: 10.24099/vet.arhiv.0338
• COBISS.SI-ID: 4763002
• Publication date in RUL: 30.07.2019

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Veterinarski arhiv : časopis Veterinarskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
• Shortened title: Vet. arh
• Publisher: Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
• ISSN: 0372-5480
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3063554

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 30.07.2019

Secondary language

• Language: Croatian
• Title: Utjecaj intenziteta vježbe na srčani i dišni sustav te tjelesnu temperaturu konja lipicanske pasmine.

Abstract

Sportski rezultati i uspjesi u treningu lipicanskih konja rijetko su proučavani s obzirom na njihovo rijetko sudjelovanje u konjičkim sportovima. Zbog toga nisu utvrđeni ni kriteriji za procjenu razine njihove tjelesne spreme tijekom treninga. Cilj istraživanja bio je odrediti bazalne vrijednosti različitih fizioloških pokazatelja (puls (HR), frekvencija disanja (RR), temperatura tijela i kože), kao i njihovu prilagodbu na povećanje tjelesnog opterećenja. Istraživanje je provedeno na skupini od šest čistokrvnih lipicanaca prosječne dobi 9 godina, a provedeno je u dva pokusa (u ljeto i jesen), uključujući nagla ubrzanja pri hodu, kasu i galopu. Promatrane vrijednosti mjerene su prije i poslije treninga i u oba su pokusa bile unutar očekivanih vrijednosti kod toplokrvnih konja. Postupno ubrzanje pulsa i znakovita pozitivna korelacija između pulsa i brzine kretanja dokazani su u lipicanaca tijekom treninga u oba pokusa, što je popraćeno postupnim ubrzanjem disanja i porastom rektalne temperature i temperature kože na različitim dijelovima tijela. Vrijeme potrebno za povratak pulsa na vrijednosti prije treninga bilo je dulje u proljetnom pokusu u odnosu na jesenski pokus. U jednakom je razdoblju zabilježen i povrat frekvencije disanja i rektalne tjelesne temperature. U oba su pokusa utvrđene razlike u temperaturi kože različitih dijelova tijela tijekom mirovanja. Nakon treninga temperatura koža znakovito je porasla u odnosu na temperaturu u mirovanju te se u jesenskom pokusu postupno vratila u normalu, dok je tijekom proljeća ostala gotovo nepromijenjena. Ovo je istraživanje pridonijelo poznavanju promjena tjelesne temperature te pokazatelja aktivnosti srčanog i dišnog sustava u konja za vrijeme povećanog tjelesnog napora. Rezultati ne pokazuju samo fiziološke promjene kod lipicanaca za vrijeme porasta intenziteta tjelesnog napora nego se i općenito mogu smatrati važnim doprinosom poznavanju fiziologije sporta i zdravlja konja, dajući temelj za daljnja istraživanja tjelesne aktivnosti i sportske medicine.

• Keywords: konji, puls, tjelesna temperatura, tjelesno opterećenje

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0053
• Name: Endokrini, imunski in encimski odzivi pri zdravih in bolnih živalih