Equine Athletes Flashcards
The three ways to describe exercise amount:
-frequency (how often)
-duration (how long)
-intensity (how hard)
What fuels exercise?
ATP
ATP
gives energy
-aerobic ATP is the most efficient and sustainable
-require O2
VO2
the volume of oxygen used per unit of body mass per minute
-the amount the body is USING not inhaling
What is the VO2 at rest?
about 5 ml/kg/min
What happens once a horse reaches its max intensity?
it starts producing oxygen anerobically
Oxygen use _____ in horses
varies
Most better athletes have:
-a higher VO2 max
-lower oxygen utilization at a given submaximal exercise intensity
What part of the body needs oxygen?
muscles
What systems deliver oxygen?
the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system
Oxygen delivery in the cardiovascular system:
- blood (RBCs)
- vasculature
- heart
Red blood cell (RBC)
-erythrocyte
-main oxygen carrying component in the blood
In the erythrocyte, oxygen is associate with…
hemoglobins
-brings O2 to organs
-takes CO2 away
Splenic contraction
-the spleen stores extra red blood cells
-during excitement, exercise, etc. some extra red blood cells are released into the circulation by the spleen
PCV/Hemotocrit
measures % amount of red blood cells in circulation
What is the effect of exercise on cell volume?
with exercise and intensity of exercise there are more RBCs due to splenic contraction
Arterial
blood going to the muscles (with O2)
Venous
blood coming from the muscles (with CO2)
How does vasculature adapt during exercise?
through vasodilation
Vasodilation
-vessels widen
-allows for more/better blood flow to the muscles
-does not happen immediately (why you have to warm up)
What is the resting HR?
30-40 bmp
Steady exercise on HR has what effect?
little to no effect
HR increases during exercise with…
-intensity/more difficult training
-once the horse tires
Factors affecting exercise intensity:
-speed
-weight carried
-incline
-ground resistance
What can HR indicate?
the effects of all the factors that affect exercise intensity
What is HR a good indicator of?
total effort
Max heart rate of athletic horses?
about 220-240 bmp
Max heart rate of less athletic horses?
about 150-160 bmp
What can HR also be affected by other than effort?
-excitement
-fear
-pain
Heart rate (HR) =
beats/min
Stroke volume (SV) =
liters/beat
Cardiac output (CO) =
HR x SV
Cardiac output increases during exercise primarily due to…
an increase in HR
What happens to stroke volume during exercise?
it does not increase, it could even decrease
Oxygen delivery by the cardiovascular system increases during exercise due to:
-splenic contraction
-vasodilation
-increase in cardiac output (from increased HR)
Nose breathers
horses do not breath through their mouths
What does the upper airway do in horses?
-humidifies air
-brings in air
-warms air
What does the lower airway and lungs do in horses?
-brings oxygen into the blood
-pulls CO2 out of the blood
Respiration rate
number of breaths taken per minute
Tidal volume
volume of air per breath
Minute volume
volume of air per minute
Resting RR
about 8-16 rpm
Galloping RR
about 120 rpm
Resting TV
about 5-6 liters
Galloping TV
about 12-14 liters
Resting MV
about 70-80 liters
Galloping MV
about 1500 liters
At a gallop and canter, RR is linked to:
stride rate
-they can breath as fast as they can move their legs
What is the good about RR linked to stride rate?
Good
-they exhale with less energy expenditure because the piston effect allows them to not have to use their diaphragm to exhale
What is the bad about RR linked to stride rate?
Bad
-when cantering/galloping slowly they have to breath slowly-they have to learn how to control their breath when going slow
Is the respiratory system limiting during submaximal exercise in normal horses?
not really
What may the respiratory system be a limiting factor to?
race performance
At rest, a ______ amount of oxygen in the blood will be used by the _______
small; muscles
At submaximal exercise, ________ oxygen is used by ______ but ______ maintain 100% O2 saturation in blood
more; muscles; lungs
At maximal exercise, _______ oxygen is used by muscle, but lungs don’t maintain 100% O2 saturation in arterial blood
more
-becomes harder for muscles to get enough oxygen
Except at max exercise, a normal respiratory tract can…
maintain oxygen content in the blood
What factors of the respiratory system can limit performance?
upper and lower airway diseases
Upper airway diseases
-left laryngeal hemiplegia (roaring)
-dorsal displacement of soft palate (choking)
Lower airway diseases
-exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage (bleeding)
-recurrent airway obstruction (heaves)
-inflammatory airway disease (asthma)
Parts of the throat
-epiglottis
-vocal cords
-arytenoid cartilages
-soft palate
-trachea
