Abstract
In athletic horses, prolonged and intense training gives rise to an imbalance between the production of free radicals and antioxidant molecules, leading to oxidative stress. Considering the relation between exercise and oxidative stress in horses, the present work aims to validate the Kit Radicaux Libres (KRL) test as a tool to verify the influence of taming, training and racing on the total blood antioxidant activity and some haematochemical parameters. Five Italian Standardbred racehorses (two males and three females, aged 12 ± 1 months) from the same training center were selected and monitored upon arrival and during the following year until the racing season. Blood samples were obtained at different timepoints, corresponding to different steps of training. The data showed that KRL values were higher (p < 0.001) before the beginning of the taming period and at 60 days of taming, compared with the training and racing periods; additionally, the total protein value was affected by the training program, whereas no effects of training on muscle enzymes were detected. These results confirm that exercise plays a role in the production of free radicals and show that the KRL test may represent a valid method to determine oxidative stress in athletic horses.
Highlights
Since exercise has been related to oxidative stress in sport horses, the present study aims to validate the Kit Radicaux Libres (KRL) test as a tool to evaluate the possible influence of intense exercise on the total blood antioxidant activity in Standardbred trotter horses
The KRL values in whole blood in relation to the training program of the trotter horses are reported in Figure 1; in particular, the figure shows that horses at the start of the taming period and after 60 days of taming (T0 and T1) have a higher (p < 0.001) KRL
The KRL values in whole blood in relation to the training program of the trot horses are reported in Figure 1; in particular, the figure shows that horses
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. A correct balance between oxidants and antioxidants is essential for physiological functions; reactive oxygen species (ROS) are continuously produced by the organism through several biochemical processes [1]. If the generation of ROS exceeds the capabilities of the antioxidant systems to neutralize them, oxidative stress condition is established and cell damages occur, leading to apoptosis [2]
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