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Friday, 4 May, 2018
Among the problems of training, that of optimising recovery of the horse after an effort deserves particular attention.
The recovery process all processes and strategies implemented to enable the athlete to recovering one's physical abilities.
The aim is tooptimizing the time needed after a performance for the body to return to a state compatible with reproducing an equal performance. Resuming exercise before a certain "optimum" biological state has been re-established can lead to a reduction in subsequent performance. But also the accumulation of fatigue and its associated risks (overtraining, injuries).
The objectives of the different strategies used in recovery depend on the level of fatigue induced by the effort. And also on the discipline and the functional muscle groups.
After exhausting efforts, the physiological and biochemical changes induced can be significant and long-lasting. This calls for appropriate recovery methods. Recovery priorities include eliminating the metabolites produced by muscular contraction, and restoring energy reserves and acid-base balance. This is essential to prepare the en犀利士 systems for future efforts.
Active recovery involves performing a submaximal exercise using the muscle groups previously activated. This increases muscular blood flow during recovery. This increase in blood flow is accompanied by an increase in oxygen consumption (VO2). In particular, this enables certain metabolites to be reused in the resynthesis of ATP (the main source of energy).
"Blood lactate is not an enemy in this case, but a potential source of energy!
The intensity of recovery should not be too high to avoid further damaging the muscles previously used.. Nor should it be too low, to ensure a certain blood flow. Indeed, maintaining blood flow for the elimination of muscle metabolites appears to be an important factor in performance recovery. A commonly defined intensity is around 70% of maximum heart rate (FCMax).
For example, in a standardized exercise test, my horse's maximum heart rate is 220 bpm. In the active recovery phase, my horse should have a heart rate of about 150 bpm. Below that, he will still eliminate toxins, but it will take longer. Above this level, my horse will consume additional energy substrates and will begin to partially break them down, thus creating toxins. The ideal is therefore around 70% of the FCMax.
In terms of speed, if my horse reaches its maximum heart rate at a speed of 36 km/h (10 m/s), then the intensity of its active recovery will need to be around 14 km/h (4 m/s).
Maintaining blood flow to eliminate muscle metabolites can also be achieved locally. This is achieved withlow-frequency electrical stimulation.
The use of this method leads to changes in blood flow mainly through local changes, induced by rhythmic muscle contractions, such as improved venous return.
The other advantage of electrostimulation for horses is that it stimulates muscle groups without moving or putting additional strain on the limbs.
Although the initial aim was toincreasing joint amplitudestretching has progressively been attributed almost universal virtues, from its essential role in warming-up to accident prevention and recovery...
While it has been concluded that stretching performed before exercise is most often without effect or even harmful to performance, the results concerning its use in recovery differ. Indeed, the significant tensions imposed by stretching are at the origin of additional microtrauma to the intimate structure of the muscle. Stretching after an effort could therefore add to muscular disturbances. Stretching should therefore be avoided during recovery. But be careful, everything also depends on the duration and type of stretching (passive, active, stato-dynamic...).
Several scientific studies suggest that massage is not very effective, either in eliminating metabolites or in restoring muscle strength. Nevertheless, massage is said to have a psychological effect, mainly linked to hormonal release. So don't hesitate to massage your horse, you'll be contributing to its well-being!
A second strategy to optimise the recovery process is the post-exercise nutritional supplementation. Indeed, effort induces numerous physiological changes such as hydro-electrolytic losses, muscle cell degradation with protein losses, the drop in glycogen reserves, the fall in pH and the mobilisation of lipid reserves (depending on the effort).
The first objective in nutritional recovery will be tooptimising water stocksIt is also advisable, in the event of heavy sweating and heat, to compensate for electrolyte losses associated with sweat losses. It will also be advisable, in the event of heavy sweating and high temperatures, to compensate for the electrolyte losses that go hand in hand with the horses' sweat losses.
It may also be necessary to supplement the body's reserves of energy substrates as soon as the exercise stops. This supplementation makes it possible to to compensate for exercise-induced losses and to restore the body's stores of energy substrates. Indeed, exercise induces major disturbances in protein metabolism, a decrease in protein synthesis and an increase in the degradation of muscle proteins. Protein and amino acid supplementation can therefore be an effective solution.
After exercise, the synthesis of muscle structural proteins increases, as does their replenishment. Muscle protein synthesis can increase by up to 100-200% in the recovery phase and is maintained for 3-5 hours for some horses and up to 1-2 days for others. However, the protein balance tends to remain negative during this period in the absence of amino acid supplementation.
Thus, amino acid supplementation is all the more effective when given after exercise has stopped (within two hours of exercise). The composition of the supplementation can then play a key role in influencing protein balance. It has been shown that supplementation with essential amino acids (EAA) can stimulate protein balance during the recovery phase and thus stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
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Dr. Justine Guillaume Ph.D Equine Nutrition & |
Justine Guillaume has been a rider and horse owner for 20 years and is a doctor in nutrition for the horse athlete. Her desire? To combine the physiology of the horse's effort, nutrition and performance to rationalise and objectify training.
Today, she is assistant manager and in charge of scientific and technical affairs at Pommier Nutrition, manufacturer and distributor of complementary feeds for horses, and has developed an entity called Equine Performance Solutions, which consists of support in terms of physical preparation for horses.
For her, physical preparation isn't just about massages and wellness treatments. It's much more than that! First and foremost, it's about preparing the body to perform while preserving its physical integrity. It's a complementary activity. It's a way for the trainer to get to know his athletes better and know whether his training is effective. Above all, it's about evaluating the horse and its physical qualities, using stress tests to determine whether training is effective and the horse is progressing, or whether, on the contrary, it's over-trained, under-trained...
" The new connected tools allow access to a small part of their 'inside', a mine of information! " - Dr. J. Guillaume
See you soon for a new article!
-The Seaver team
