Equine Metabolic Plasticity

Korte beschrijving

This PhD is part of a larger equine training project in which the effect of different types of training in different breeds is studied. The primary focus of the current PhD work is threefold: (1) comparing baseline muscular physiology between three different archetype equine breeds; (2) studying the role of carbohydrates to fuel exercise in horses; and (3) exploring strategies to modulate the glucose/insulin metabolism in horses in untrained condition. Chapter 1: The introductory section of this PhD thesis provides an in-depth overview of the current state of the art knowledge about equine muscle physiology, also involving other animal species and humans from a comparative perspective. This section furnishes readers with essential knowledge to better understand the rationale behind the executed studies and the applied study set-ups. It encompasses a detailed overview of the general architecture of muscles and how this is linked to their function. Information is provided about key morpho-physiological parameters involved in the current PhD, such as fiber specific cross-sectional area (fCSA) and mean fiber cross sectional area (mfCSA), muscle fiber type composition and metabolic analyses. Since the second study also involves training, different types of training are being highlighted, at least the three archetype different training protocols: endurance training, power training and interval training. Also, the concept of Standardized Exercise Tests (SETs) is being explained in this section, since these SETs are essential for proper and objective follow-up of effect of training on performance capacity. Finally, the concept of muscle plasticity or how the muscle adapts itself in answer to different types of stimuli is being discussed.