Project description:A single bout of exercise induces changes in gene expression in skeletal muscle. Regular exercise results in an adaptive response involving changes in muscle architecture and biochemistry, and is an effective way to manage and prevent common human diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disorders and type II diabetes. Our study is a transcriptome-wide analysis of skeletal muscle tissue in a large cohort of untrained Thoroughbred horses before and after a bout of high-intensity exercise and again after an extended period of training. We hypothesized that regular high-intensity exercise training primes the transcriptome for the demands of high-intensity exercise.