Mythbuster Monday: Horses Stay Fit Longer Than Humans
On Mythbuster Monday, we tackle a variety of equestrian myths to either bust or confirm. Today’s discussion: Do horses stay in shape longer than humans?
It’s Mythbuster Monday, where Horse Nation dives into different equestrian myths and provides research-based evidence to either bust or confirm those myths. Today’s topic: Do horses stay in shape longer than humans? What allows them to keep their condition longer? What is the time frame they lose muscle mass? Read further to find out!
Myth: Horses stay fit longer than humans
Myth or Fact: Fact
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At rest, a horse’s respiratory volume is approximately 150 liters per minute. While performing strenuous activity, the horse’s respiratory volume can rise to as much as 1,500 to 1,800 liters per minute. As for the heart rate of an exercising horse, during activity it can increase seven to eight times the amount of the horse’s resting heart rate. Humans on the other hand only have a heart rate increase of 4.2 to 4.4 times their resting rate.
But, do horses keep their muscle conditioning longer than humans?
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According to an article by ThoroEdge Equine Performance, horses are bred to run while humans are not. Because they are animals of prey, it is instinct from birth that horses get to max speed at an early age without any conditioning. If this weren’t the case, the horse would quickly be eaten by an animal higher in the food chain. Conversely, humans must grow and then train daily to build up muscle mass to achieve this type of conditioning.
Both horses and humans have proprioceptors which are built in safety mechanisms for the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This aids in protecting the horse and human from damage due to excessive loads and/or extreme stretching. The human threshold is much lower than a horse’s. While we push the limit and are sore the next day, horses aren’t the same. It takes an extreme amount more of activity to reach this feeling.
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Finish Line Horse Products weighs in stating that horses have an advantage over humans in the adaptability of their muscles mainly because a horse’s skeletal muscles have increased muscle mass relative to body weight, greater locomotor efficiency and adaptable fiber-type composition. Equine skeletal muscle shows a remarkable ability to adapt to physical exercise and long-term training due to having biologic characteristics that permit higher aerobic capacity, greater intramuscular storage of energy and allow for greater resiliency against fatigue. Particularly Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses are estimated to have 80 to 90 percent Type 2 fiber content, contributing to these breeds having raw potential for power and output without any conditioning. This means horses will hold their muscle condition way longer than humans.
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The University of Kentucky Ag Equine Programs state that muscle mass is determined by protein synthesis and breakdown. One study discussed showed that muscle protein synthesis in horses increases following meals, possibly due to post-feeding elevations in either amino acid or insulin concentrations. The study concluded that horses could keep their muscle mass at an even longer rate than normal if provided amino acids and glucose following exercise.
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After diving into the research, horses hold muscle mass for longer periods of time than humans. This is mainly due to muscle protein synthesis differences in horses and humans, type 2 fiber content, and the instinct of being animals of prey.
So, Horse Nation, just because you’re a little winded after a brief break, don’t assume your horse is as well. But also be smart about bringing them back into work. They may stay fit longer, but not indefinitely. And, like humans, an out-of-shape horse can suffer from muscle fatigue, which can increase the risk of soft tissue injuries.
Do you have an equine myth you’d like us to tackle? If so, send it our way! Email your suggestions to [email protected]. Put Mythbuster Monday in your subject line.
