Exercise-induced physiological adjustments to stressful conditions in sports horses

[en] Among athletic/sports animals, the horse has a unique ability to increase its oxygen uptake by a factor of 60 during heavy exercise. This is achieved by physiological adaptations of all the links in the oxygen chain. Ventilation is increased by a factor of 30. Since the horse is a compulsory nasal breather, this hyperpnea necessitates high transmural pressure changes, which may be responsible for the dynamic collapse of the airways. Blood flow is increased by a factor of 10. Since the left ventricle is not very compliant, this increase necessitates a high filling pressure in the pulmonary circulation, which may induce capillary stress failure and exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage. Lastly, oxygen transport is improved by splenic contraction which increases haemoglobinemia by 50%. Sports horses frequently suffer from several problems, which are related either to endogenous or exogenous stresses experienced during their career. These stresses, caused by the use of the horse as a competition animal, may lead to several medical problems. At a systemic level, endogenous stresses include hyperkaliemia, lactacidemia, and hyperthermia; oxidative stress may induce problems at a general, and/or a pulmonary level. External factors, e.g. poor quality of inspired air, transport, hot and humid ambient conditions, and microbiological agents, may also induce abnormal body attacks, and lead to health problems.

Disciplines :

Anatomy (cytology, histology, embryology...) & physiology
Veterinary medicine & animal health

Author, co-author :

Art, Tatiana ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de sciences fonctionnelles > Phys. neuro-muscul., de l'effort - Méd. sport. des animaux

Lekeux, Pierre ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de sciences fonctionnelles > Physiologie - Doyen de la Faculté de Médecine vétérinaire

Language :

English

Title :

Exercise-induced physiological adjustments to stressful conditions in sports horses

Publication date :

2005

Journal title :

Livestock Production Science

ISSN :

0301-6226

Publisher :

Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

101-111

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 17 April 2009

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2 (1 by ULiège)

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