Stress, Metabolic and Serum Muscle-Derived Enzymes Response of Horses Employed in Wooded Area and Field Trekking Courses.
Authors: Arfuso Francesca, Piccione Giuseppe, Trimarchi Fabio, Panzera Maria Francesca, Giannetto Claudia
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Recreational trekking exposes horses to metabolic and physiological demands that warrant closer monitoring, particularly when routes exceed moderate distances or consecutive days are involved without adequate recovery. Researchers compared 30 clinically healthy horses across three trekking protocols (15 km single route, 35 km single route, and three consecutive days totalling 90 km) by sampling blood before exercise, immediately after, and one hour post-exercise to measure stress hormones, metabolic markers and muscle-damage enzymes including cortisol, lactate, glucose, NEFAs, creatinine, AST, CPK and LDH. All exercise groups exhibited significantly elevated levels of these parameters compared with baseline (P < 0.001), but horses completing the demanding consecutive-day itinerary (particularly days two and three) showed substantially higher concentrations of cortisol, lactate and muscle enzymes than those on single-day routes, indicating cumulative physiological strain. For practitioners advising on trekking schedules, these findings underscore that whilst trekking itself triggers expected metabolic mobilisation and stress responses, back-to-back or extended routes without sufficient recovery intervals—particularly those exceeding 35–40 km—meaningfully increase the risk of exercise-induced muscle damage. Implementing strategic rest days between trekking activities, monitoring post-exercise muscle enzyme values, and tailoring route difficulty to individual fitness levels remain essential safeguards for maintaining musculoskeletal health in recreational riding programmes.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Monitor horses for elevated muscle enzymes and stress markers after trekking, particularly after consecutive days of exercise; implement adequate recovery periods between trekking events to prevent cumulative muscle damage
- •Longer or repeated trekking courses (35+ km or multi-day consecutive courses) produce greater metabolic stress and muscle enzyme elevation than shorter single courses, suggesting workload management is critical for trekking horses
- •Consider individual fitness level and conditioning when scheduling trekking activities, as acute stress and muscle damage indicators suggest these horses require structured recovery protocols similar to competition horses
Key Findings
- •Cortisol, lactate, glucose, NEFAs, creatinine, CPK, LDH and AST all increased significantly after trekking compared to rest (P < 0.001)
- •Horses completing consecutive multi-day trekking (Groups C2 and C3) showed higher haematochemical parameters and muscle enzyme values than single-day trekking groups
- •Trekking induces metabolic reaction accompanied by acute stress response in clinically healthy horses
- •Inadequate recovery between trekking sessions increases probability of muscle damage