Cardiac morphologic changes induced by a 10-week water treadmill training for show jumping horses: A preliminary evaluation.
Authors: Nascimento Carolina, Braz Ana Laura, Barbosa Inês, Freire Gonçalo, Nicolau Manuel, Silvestre Filipa, Filho Helio Manso, Simões Joana, Estepa José Carlos, Clayton Hilary, Coelho Clarisse
Journal: Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Summary
Water treadmill training twice weekly for 10 weeks induced measurable cardiac remodelling in six show jumping horses, with echocardiographic assessment revealing increases in interventricular septal thickness (2.56 to 2.79 cm), posterior wall systolic thickness (4.21 to 4.48 cm), ejection fraction (75.0 to 78.6%), and fractional shortening (46.8 to 50.2%), alongside a reduction in left ventricular internal diameter during systole. Functional improvements were equally noteworthy: cardiac output increased from 16.7 to 21.3 L/min, resting heart rate rose from 31.2 to 36.3 bpm, and serum cardiac troponin I levels decreased, suggesting improved myocardial stability rather than damage. During subsequent show jumping field tests, trained horses demonstrated substantially improved metabolic efficiency, reducing energy expenditure from 1000.3 to 573.5 J/kg/min and cost of transport from 0.428 to 0.237 beats/kg/m, whilst performing the test at higher speeds (17.0 versus 12.9 km/h). For practitioners implementing water treadmill work in jumping programmes, these findings suggest that aquatic training promotes beneficial cardiac adaptations that enhance both myocardial contractility and athletic efficiency—though the small cohort size warrants replication in larger populations before drawing definitive conclusions about optimal training protocols.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Water treadmill training appears to induce beneficial cardiac structural adaptations in jumping horses, increasing contractility and cardiac output efficiency without evidence of myocardial injury
- •Horses trained on water treadmills demonstrated improved athletic performance with higher jumping speeds and better metabolic efficiency, suggesting this modality may be a valuable adjunct to traditional training programs
- •The reduction in cardiac troponin levels combined with favorable echocardiographic changes suggests water treadmill training may offer a lower-impact training option that develops cardiovascular fitness safely
Key Findings
- •Water treadmill training for 10 weeks (20 min, twice weekly) significantly increased interventricular septal thickness (2.56→2.79 cm), left ventricular posterior wall thickness in systole (4.21→4.48 cm), ejection fraction (75.0→78.6%), and fractional shortening (46.8→50.2%)
- •Cardiac output increased significantly from 16.7 to 21.3 L/min and resting heart rate increased from 31.2 to 36.3 bpm following water treadmill training
- •Left ventricular internal diameter in systole decreased significantly (5.99→5.68 cm) with concurrent reduction in cardiac troponin I levels, indicating improved cardiac efficiency without myocardial damage
- •Post-training show jumping performance improved with horses achieving higher speeds (12.9→17.0 km/h) and enhanced energy expenditure efficiency (1000.3→573.5 J/kg/min) and cost of transport (0.428→0.237 beats/kg/m × 10³)