Training and growth induced changes in the middle gluteal muscle of young Standardbred trotters

The middle gluteal muscle of five, two-year-old untrained trotters was investigated by repeated needle biopsy sampling over a training period of six months. A second group of five, three-year-old untrained horses was included to examine the effect of growth. After the training period increases were found in the relative distribution of slow twitch (ST) fibres from 18 per cent to 25 per cent and fast twitch (FTa) fibres from 36 per cent to 45 per cent, and a decrease in FTb fibres from 46 per cent to 30 per cent. A proportionally equal reduction (approximately 18 per cent) in the cross sectional area of all fibre types was observed after the first two months of training succeeded by an increase to approximately pretraining levels at the end of the period. The number of capillaries per fibre was enhanced from 1.7 to 2.4. Proliferation of capillaries occurred around fibres of all types. The metabolic adaptations showed increases in the activities of 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) (50 per cent) and citrate synthase (31 per cent). Growth had no effect on the relative fibre type distribution nor the capillary per fibre ratio, but as the mean fibre area increased 36 per cent (primarily because of increases in FT fibres) the number of capillaries/mm2 was lower in the older untrained horses (350 capillaries/mm2) compared with the younger untrained ones (460 capillaries/mm2). Increase with growth was found in the activity of phosphorylase and HAD and a decrease was seen in the activity of hexokinase. It is concluded that the training programme exclusively induced alterations which improved the aerobic capacity of the muscle.