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Changes over time in echocardiographic measurements in young Standardbred racehorses undergoing training and racing
Rikke Buhl1, Annette K Ersbøll, Lis Eriksen
1Department of Large Animal Sciences, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, 88-Dyrlaegevej, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Insights
Echocardiography revealed significant cardiac enlargement in young Standardbred racehorses due to training and age. Larger heart size in racing horses correlated with improved athletic performance.
Area of Science:
- Equine cardiology
- Veterinary sports medicine
- Cardiac physiology in athletes
Background:
- Young Standardbred racehorses undergo intense training and racing.
- Understanding cardiac adaptations is crucial for performance and health.
- Echocardiographic assessment provides insights into cardiac structure and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To track changes in echocardiographic measurements in young Standardbreds during training and racing.
- To investigate the relationship between cardiac dimensions and racing performance.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal observational study design.
- 103 young Standardbred racehorses were included.
- Echocardiography (2D and M-mode) was performed four times at six-month intervals.
Main Results:
- Significant cardiac enlargement observed, including increased left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd) and left ventricular mass (LV mass), indicative of eccentric hypertrophy.
- Body weight, male sex, and regular racing were associated with larger cardiac dimensions.
- A significant positive correlation was found between left ventricular size and racing performance, most pronounced at the final examination.
Conclusions:
- Age and training significantly influence cardiac dimensions in young Standardbred racehorses.
- Racing horses exhibit larger hearts compared to unraced horses.
- Cardiac size is a relevant indicator of athletic performance in this population.
Objective:
To evaluate changes over time in echocardiographic measurements in young Standardbred racehorses undergoing training and racing and determine whether there was any relationship between cardiac dimensions and racing performance.
Design:
Longitudinal observational study.
Animals:
103 horses.
Procedure:
2-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography was performed 4 times at 6-month intervals.
Results:
Significant cardiac enlargement took place during the study period as indicated by increases in left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd), estimated left ventricular muscle mass (LV mass), and mean wall thickness attributable to eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy. Estimated body weight was positively correlated with left ventricular size, and males had significantly larger LVIDd and LV mass than did females. Horses that were racing regularly had larger LVIDd and LV mass than did unraced horses. A significant relationship between left ventricular size and racing performance was observed. The relationship was strongest at the time of the fourth examination.
Conclusions And Clinical Relevance:
Results suggest that age must be taken into account when interpreting results of echocardiography in young Standardbred racehorses because significant cardiac enlargement takes place with age and training. A larger heart was found in horses that were racing, and size of the heart was correlated with athletic performance of the horse.
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