Authors: Miglio Arianna, Falcinelli Emanuela, Mezzasoma Anna Maria, Busechian Sara, Rueca Fabrizio, Gresele Paolo, Antognoni Maria Teresa
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Monitoring platelet activation during equine training could offer a novel window into how a horse's cardiovascular system adapts to exercise stress. Researchers tracked 29 untrained Thoroughbreds through 90 days of standardised incremental training, collecting blood samples at baseline, 30 days, and 90 days to measure soluble P-selectin (sP-sel) and platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs)—both established markers of platelet activation used in human sports physiology. Soluble P-selectin showed a transient elevation at 30 days before returning to baseline by day 90, whilst PEV levels remained significantly elevated throughout training, indicating sustained platelet hyperactivity despite adaptation. These findings suggest that sP-sel and PEVs could serve as objective biomarkers for evaluating training intensity and individualising exercise programmes, potentially helping practitioners identify optimal conditioning schedules and detect maladaptation in performance horses; further research linking these markers to fitness outcomes and injury risk would strengthen clinical application.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Baseline platelet activation markers could help monitor how individual horses adapt to training loads, with normalized P-selectin levels by 90 days suggesting improved cardiovascular adaptation
- •Persistent elevation of PEVs throughout training indicates sustained platelet hyperactivity that warrants consideration when managing training intensity or assessing thrombotic risk
- •These blood markers offer a non-invasive tool to validate whether training schedules are producing expected physiological adaptations in previously untrained racehorses
Key Findings
- •Soluble P-selectin tended to increase at 30 days of training then returned to baseline by 90 days
- •Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (CD61+/AnnV+) remained significantly elevated at both 30 and 90 days of training compared to baseline
- •Circulating markers of platelet activation (sP-sel and PEVs) may serve as useful biomarkers to monitor exercise-induced hemostatic changes during training