New insights in heart rate variability through non-linear methods for conditioning assessment in horses

Chronic exercise induces significant adaptations across multiple physiological systems due to increased metabolic demand. Heart rate variability (HRV) has emerged as a prominent, non-invasive method for monitoring fitness, enabling inference of sympathovagal balance from time-series variations in electrocardiograms. Notably, nonlinear analyses have a strong capacity to detect and estimate complex mechanisms underlying cardiovascular modulation. In this context, HRV was evaluated in the time and frequency domains, as well as through nonlinear methods, in 12 young purebred Arabian horses undergoing submaximal conditioning at speeds corresponding to the lactate threshold. Following conditioning, improvements in aerobic fitness and reductions in indices of vagal tone were observed. Additionally, the absence of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was noted after conditioning. These findings may be explained by the parasympathetic saturation hypothesis, which posits that increased parasympathetic modulation of the sinoatrial node reduces fluctuations in vagal activity. The absence of RSA further contributes to decreased heart rate variability and lower indices associated with parasympathetic modulation. Overall, nonlinear HRV metrics are feasible and can provide a more nuanced assessment of sympathovagal balance, potentially expanding cardiac autonomic regulation evaluation for endurance-training adjustments in horses.