Influence of physical and emotional activity on the metabolic profile of blood serum of race horses
Authors: Bayeva T. I. , Zhegunov G. F. 
Published: November 2016

In the article data are presented on dynamics of the level of indicators of metabolic profile of blood serum of race horses of the Ukrainian riding breed in the conditions of physical and emotional loading. Clinically healthy race horses were the object of  research. Blood was taken from the jugular vein to obtain serum and for further biochemical research. For the research 12 race horses from a training group were chosen. From time to time the animals took part in competitions; they were not specially used in races and were mostly used for the training of junior riders and sportsmen of different levels. Blood was taken in conditions of relative rest after ordinary training and after emotional stress during the entertainment performances when a large number of people were present and loud music was played. In the blood serum the following biochemical indicators were defined: whole protein, urea, creatinine, uric acid, total bilirubin and its fractions, glucose, cholestererol, triacylglycerol, calcium, ferrum, lactate, pyruvate, activity of the AlAT, SGOT, GGTP, LDH, an alkaline phosphatase – which makes it possible to determine reasonably accurately the adaptation potential of a horse under various types of loading. We established that during training and psychoemotional loading of racing horses of the training group of the Ukrainian riding breed, multidirectional changes in the level of biochemical indicators of blood serum occurred, which is evidence of stress in the metabolic processes in the animals’ organisms. Concentration of a biomarker of an oxidative stress, uric acid, increased after physical loading by 8.6%, and after emotional loading by 55.1%, which demonstrates that emotional stress had the more negative effect, indicating insufficient adaptation by the horses before demonstration performances. After physical loading, reaction of transamination in the horses’ liver cells intensified, and after emotional loading its intensity decreased, which conforms to changes of indicators in exchange of proteins. SGOT activity in the animals’ blood serum exceeded the upper rate of norm, it coincides also with rising of concentration of creatinine and sodium lactatum, and is an indicator of intensification of catabolic processes in the muscles after physical loading. Only after emotional loading, did hyperglycemia and hyperbilirubinemia occur because of a temporal spasm in the cholic paths without changes in the activity of the alkaline phosphatase and GGTP. After physical loading the level of lactatum increased (by 185.7%), activity of LDH (by 76.2%), concentration of cholesterol (by 76.2%), triacylglycerol (by 140.9%), which is an indicator of intensification of anaerobic glycolysis and lipolysis. Emotional loading is the stronger stress factor which causes negative changes in indicators of the metabolic profile. Trainers should take this into account during the training and testing of horses in order to facilitate their adaptation to the influence of various stress factors, to correct the animals’ physiological state and thus enable them to cope with intensive loading without threat to their health.