EFFECTS OF TRAINING ON RESTING AND POSTEXERCISE ECG IN STANDARD-BRED HORSES, USING A STANDARDIZED EXERCISE TEST

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 37  (12) , 1485-1488
Abstract
Five healthy, mature, previously trained Standardbred horeses were given no exercise (left in a stall) for 4 mo., then jogged (slow exercise) for 3 wk, and placed in a 6 wk training period. Cardiac variables were measured at the beginning of training and after 14, 20, 35 and 42 days of training before and at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 min after a 1.8 km (in 3:12 .+-. 2 s) standard, submaximal exercise test on a deep 0.53 km track. There was no significant change during the 6 wk conditioning period in the following variables at rest or at any of the times observed during recovery from test exercise: heart rate, PQ-interval, QRS-duration, QT-interval and ratio of electrical systole to diastole. Measuring heart rate by ECG at rest and during recovery from exercise was of no significance in evaluating the fitness in the previously trained adult horse.