High intensity exercise conditioning increases accumulated oxygen deficit of horses

Abstract

High intensity exercise is associated with production of energy by both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. Conditioning by repeated exercise increases the maximal rate of aerobic metabolism, aerobic capacity, of horses, but whether the maximal amount of energy provided by anaerobic metabolism, anaerobic capacity, can be increased by conditioning of horses is unknown. We, therefore, examined the effects of 10 weeks of regular (4-5 days/week) high intensity (92 ± 3 %V̇O2max) exercise on accumulated oxygen deficit of 8 Standardbred horses that had been confined to box stalls for 12 weeks. Exercise conditioning resulted in increases of 17% in V̇O2max (P<0.001), 11% in the speed at which V̇O2max w..