A consort-guided randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial on the effects of 6 weeks training on heart rate variability in thoroughbred horses

Abstract

Background

Fitness assessment of horses remains challenging. Heart rate variability (HRV) can be used to monitor human athlete's training, but its value is unknown in horses.

Hypothesis

The linear domain HRV variables are affected by fitness.

Animals

Twelve healthy untrained thoroughbreds were randomly split into a training group (6 weeks of incremental racetrack training) and a control group (no training).

Methods

Linear domain HRV variables were analyzed (high frequency [HF], low frequency [LF], their normalized units [Hf_nu, Lf_nu], root mean square of successive differences between beats [RMSSD], Poincaré plot features [SD1 and SD2]) while resting overnight before (baseline) and after 2, 4 and 6 weeks of training. V̇O_2max and echocardiographic indexes were measured at baseline and after 6 weeks. Changes in HRV variables over time (ANOVA), and correlation with V̇O_2max (Pearson's chi-squared test) were tested (P < .05 significance).

Results

V̇O_2max, LF/HF ratio, and LF_nu increased while HF_nu decreased in the training group (before and after training mean [SD] values: V̇O_2max 134 [12.8]-146 [16.5] mL/[kg min]; P < .001; LF/HF ratio 0.51 [0.2]-0.91 [0.3] [P = .02]; LF_nu 37.5 [10.1]-46.8 [7.8] [P = .02]; HF_nu 76.2 [7.9]-53.2 [7.7] [P < .001]). Training did not affect RMSSD, SD1, SD2, resting HR, or echocardiographic indexes. Strong correlations were found between V̇O_2max and HRV variables (V̇O_2max and LF_nu [r = −0.59, P = .04]; ΔV̇O_2max and the corresponding ΔLF [r = −0.88, P = .02]).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Six weeks of training affected some frequency domain HRV variables. Further studies are necessary to validate the use of HRV for monitoring horses' responses to training.