Locomotory Profile, Heart Rate Variability, and Blood Parameters Reveal Adaptive Responses in Endurance Horses Trained on Deep Sand.

ABSTRACT: Training on deep sand is commonly employed in endurance horses, but its physiological adaptation remains poorly characterized. This study aimed to characterize locomotor adaptations during a 7 km controlled-speed canter on deep sand in eighteen endurance horses, to identify heart rate variability (HRV) components, and to investigate changes in hematological variables before and after exercise. Stride frequency (SF) and stride length (SL), HRV, and hematological profiles were recorded during exercise and recovery with a fitness tracker. Associations between maximum speed and locomotor parameters were assessed by linear regression, while Pearson's correlation assessed HRV relationships, also with physiological parameters. Hematological parameters were assessed with paired t-test before and a

SUBMITTER: Porzio E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12656824 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature