Efficacy of High-Intensity Training for Racehorses

One common training method might not be as effective at conditioning racehorses as once thought.
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An effective training regimen is crucial for all equine athletes. One program used with racehorses, for instance, is high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT), where horses run at near top speed for short periods and then are given rest periods between sprints. How exactly trainers should implement HIIT, however, can be tricky business.

According to the results of a study led by Arno Lindner, DVM, PhD, of the Arbeitsgruppe Pferd in Jülich, Germany, the efficacy of HIIT might depend on the duration of the high-speed sprints, the number of HIIT repetitions throughout the week, and the type of exercise performed on "off" days. The researchers devised an HIIT protocol and examined how the number of workouts per week affected V4 (the velocity at which running under specified conditions yields a blood lactate concentration of 4 millimoles per liter).

"V4 has (long) been used to examine the effect of training," Lindner explained in the study. "Increases in V4 are considered to show a positive effect of training."

The study involved eight 4- and 5-year-old Thoroughbreds that had raced previously, but were not considered to be "race-fit" at the time the study began. Horses were placed into groups and conditioned with HIIT (two 100-meter runs at near-maximal speed with a 10-minute walking period between runs) either once, twice, or three times a week during each of the three six-week conditioning periods. In between HIIT days, horses were worked lightly

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Casie Bazay is a freelance and young adult writer, as well as a certified equine acupressure practitioner. She also hosts a blog, The Naturally Healthy Horse. Once an avid barrel racer, she now enjoys giving back to the horses who have given her so much.

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