Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T13:50:19.274Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Practical assessment of heart rate response to exercise under field conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2007

Pat Harris ,
David J. Marlin ,
Helen Davidson ,
Jean Rodgerson ,
Anna Gregory  and
David Harrison
Pat Harris*
Affiliation:
Equine Studies Group, WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 4RT, UK
David J. Marlin
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Equine Centre, University of Bristol, Langford, UK
Helen Davidson
Affiliation:
Equine Studies Group, WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 4RT, UK
Jean Rodgerson
Affiliation:
Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, UK
Anna Gregory
Affiliation:
Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, UK
David Harrison
Affiliation:
Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, UK
*
*Corresponding author: pat.harris@eu.effem.com
Get access

Abstract

Regular monitoring of the heart rate (HR):speed relationship may help evaluate response to training and aid in the early detection of problems. This relationship is normally determined using a treadmill or via a ridden test conducted outside on a track. Simple practical alternative methods to obtain this relationship without access to a treadmill or a track could be of value in the field. To evaluate whether the HR:speed relationship could be determined via an indoor ridden test or a lunge test, HR was monitored on two occasions at least 3 h apart, in 12 adult horses (mixed breed) in a familiar environment during a 5 or 7 m radius circle lunge (unridden) test (5LT or 7LT) and an incremental (ridden) test (RT) on the same day. The RT comprised two ridden laps of the perimeter of a 60 × 40 m indoor school at walk, three laps at trot, three at medium canter and four at fast canter (all on the right rein). The speed of each lap was recorded. The LT comprised lunging for 2 min on each rein at walk, trot and canter. Speed was determined from the number of laps completed and measurement of the distance travelled. HR and speed were highly correlated in both lunge and ridden tests (both r = 0.99 ± 0.01). V140 on the ridden test (5.2 ± 0.6 m s− 1) was significantly greater than on the pooled lunge test data (4.4 ± 0.6; P < 0.0001). There was a negative correlation between recovery HR at 2 min following either the LT or RT and V140 (P < 0.05). The slope of the HR versus speed relationship and V140 were not different between RT and 7LT, but were significantly different from those of the 5LT (P < 0.05). V140 was always lower on the lunge tests compared with the ridden test. This suggests that, in this study, lunging without a rider increased the metabolic demand above that for being ridden at a similar speed. V140 determined by the 7LT gave the closest approximation to the V140 determined by the RT. The HR:speed relationship can be obtained either from riding an incremental test in an indoor school or from an unridden lunge test.

Keywords

heart rateV140field testinglungingexercise testing
Type
Research Paper
Information
Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , February 2007 , pp. 15 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Persson, SGB (1983). Evaluation of exercise tolerance and fitness in the performance horse. In: Snow, DH, Persson, SGB and Rose, RJ (eds) Equine Exercise Physiology. Cambridge: Granta editions, pp. 441–457.Google Scholar
2Courouce, A (1999). Field exercise testing for assessing fitness in French standardbred trotters. The Veterinary Journal 157: 112–122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Kobayashi, M, Kuribara, K and Amada, A (1999). Application of V 200 values for evaluation of training effects in the young thoroughbred under field conditions. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (30): 159–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Erickson, BK, Erickson, HH, Sexton, WL and Coffman, JR (1987). Performance evaluation and detection of injury during exercise training in the quarter horse using a heart rate computer. In: Gillespie, JR and Robinson, NE (eds) Equine Exercise Physiology II. California: ICEEP Publications, Davis, pp. 92–101.Google Scholar
5Schroter, RC and Marlin, DJ (2002). Modelling the oxygen cost of transport in competitions over ground of variable slope. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (34): 397–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Marlin, DJ, Scott, CM, Schroter, RC, Mills, PC, Harris, RC, Harris, PA, Orme, CE, Roberts, CA, Marr, C, Dyson, S and Barrelet, F (1996). Physiological responses in non heat-acclimated horses performing treadmill exercise in cool (20°C/40%rh), hot dry (30°C/40%rh) and hot humid (30°C/80%rh) conditions. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (22): 70–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan, M, Wensing, T and Breukink, HJ (1987). Standardized exercise test on a track to evaluate fitness and training of saddle horses. In: Gillespie, J and Robinson, NE (eds) Equine Exercise Physiology II. San Diego, California: ICEEP Publications, pp. 68–76.Google Scholar
8Maier-Bock, H and Ehrlein, HJ (1978). Heart rate during a defined exercise test in horses with heart and lung disease. Equine Veterinary Journal 10: 235–242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Munoz, A, Riber, C, Santisteban, R, Vivo, R, Aguera, S and Castejon, F (1998). Investigation of standardized exercise tests according to fitness level of three-day event horses. Journal of Equine Science 9: 1–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Betros, CL, McKeever, KH, Kearns, CF and Malinowski, K (2002). Effects of ageing and training on maximal heart rate and VO2max. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (34): 100–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Chateau, H, Degueurce, C and Denoix, J-M (2005). Three-dimensional kinematics of the equine distal forelimb: Effects of a sharp turn at the walk. Equine Veterinary Journal 37(1): 12–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Rose, RJ and Christley, RM (1995). How useful are submaximal exercise tests to forecast performance. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (18): 471–479.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Sloet van Olderuitenborgh-Oosterbaan, MM, Barneveld, A and Schamhardt, HC (1995). Effects of weight and riding on workload and locomotion during treadmill exercise. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (18): 413.CrossRefGoogle Scholar