Inspiratory muscle training and testing: Rationale, development and feasibility.

Area of Science:

• Equine respiratory physiology
• Sports science
• Animal training techniques

Background:

• Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) targets specific respiratory muscles, differing from general exercise.
• The application and benefits of IMT in horses remain largely unexplored.
• This study introduces IMT as a novel training modality for equine athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an equine-specific method for inspiratory muscle testing and training.
• To assess the feasibility and tolerance of this new training protocol in a commercial Thoroughbred setting.
• To establish preliminary data on inspiratory muscle strength in horses.

Main Methods:

• A field study utilizing a mask-interfaced commercial human IMT device was conducted.
• Ten horses underwent daily IMT for 9 weeks, with strength testing before and after training.
• Inspiratory muscle strength testing involved an incremental loading protocol until volitional fatigue or maximum breaths.

Main Results:

• Horses completed a median of 42 days of IMT, reaching a peak load of 32.5 cmH2O.
• Inspiratory muscle strength testing showed median peak values of 27 cmH2O (initial) and 41 cmH2O (experienced).
• The testing protocol required refinement due to horses reaching maximum values, indicating potential for higher loads.

Conclusions:

• Equine inspiratory muscle testing and training are feasible and tolerated.
• The developed inspiratory muscle strength testing protocol requires further refinement.
• Future research should investigate the correlation of IMT outcomes with physiological and performance metrics in horses.