Metabolic and Biomolecular Changes Induced by Incremental Long-Term Training in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses during First Workout Season

摘要

Sport training leads to adaptation to physical effort that is reflected by changes in blood parameters. The Thoroughbred racehorse is a valid animal model to investigate such changes. Twenty-nine clinically healthy, two-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses were followed during their first 4-month sprint training. Blood collection was performed at rest, once a month, five times. For each sample, blood parameters were determined. Moreover, before the beginning and at the end of the experimental period, serum protein electrophoresis and genetic analysis to evaluate the expression of key genes related to inflammatory and immunity responses were performed on all samples. Significant modifications were identified compared with the beginning of training for numerous metabolites and genes related to immunity response. In conclusion, the first long-term training period induces fundamental systemic changes in untrained Thoroughbreds probably as the result of the onset of physiologic adaptation to training.