Effect of Lactate Minimum Speed-Guided Training on the Fluid, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Status of Horses.
Authors: Titotto Angélica C, Santos Maíra M, Ramos Gabriel V, Adão Milena Dos S, Benvenuto Guilherme V, De Lacerda Luciana C C, Lisbôa Júlio A N, Lacerda-Neto José C
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Lactate minimum speed (LMS) represents a useful non-invasive threshold for individualising training intensity, yet its effects on equine physiological homeostasis remain poorly characterised. Ten untrained Arabian horses underwent LMS testing before and after six weeks of treadmill training, with workload progressively increased from 80% to 100% of their calculated LMS; venous blood samples analysed for acid-base parameters, electrolytes and lactate kinetics allowed researchers to track adaptations across rest, exercise and recovery phases. Training produced subtle but favourable shifts in resting acid-base status—pH increased from 7.436 to 7.460, bicarbonate rose from 27.01 to 28.91 mmol/L, and strong ion difference improved from 33.42 to 35.06 mmol/L—with greater stability in these variables during post-training testing despite non-significant changes in absolute LMS values. Whilst the intervention demonstrably enhanced acid-base buffering capacity and fluid-electrolyte balance at rest, the modest fitness gains suggest that six weeks of LMS-guided training alone may be insufficient to drive meaningful improvements in aerobic threshold, indicating that practitioners should consider combining this approach with additional conditioning strategies or longer training periods to achieve more substantial performance gains.
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Practical Takeaways
- •LMS-guided training protocols may enhance acid-base stability during exercise testing, potentially indicating improved metabolic efficiency even when speed thresholds show minimal change
- •Training at 80-100% of LMS appears to be a tolerable intensity that supports homeostatic adaptation in untrained horses without causing acid-base disturbances
- •Monitor both LMS values and acid-base/electrolyte status separately, as improvements in one parameter may not correlate with changes in the other during conditioning programmes
Key Findings
- •Six weeks of lactate minimum speed (LMS)-guided training produced mild but non-significant increases in resting pH (7.436 to 7.460), pCO2 (42.95 to 45.06 mmHg), HCO3- (27.01 to 28.91 mmol/L), and SID4 (33.42 to 35.06 mmol/L)
- •During post-training LMS testing, acid-base variables (pH, pCO2, HCO3-, SID4) demonstrated greater stability compared to pre-training testing
- •LMS values did not show significant improvement after training (5.40 ± 0.55 to 5.52 ± 0.20 m/s), despite improved fitness indicators
- •LMS-guided training had positive impact on horses' acid-base homeostasis, suggesting physiological adaptation to structured training protocols