Assessment of the oxidant– antioxidant blood balance in a field exercise test in Standardbred and eventing horses

The aim of this study was to determine which oxidant–antioxidant blood markers are of interest for a field exercise test (ET) performed on a racetrack. Healthy Standardbred horses (S: n 1⁄4 12) and healthy eventing horses (E: n 1⁄4 12) were investigated. Exercise was monitored by measuring velocity (V), heart rate (HR), and plasma lactate (LA). Whilst maximal LA did not differ (11.8 ^ 0.88 mmol l), maximal V (S: 12.3 ^ 0.17 m s versus E: 11.1 ^ 0.24 m s, P , 0.05) and final HR (S: 222 ^ 1 versus E: 203 ^ 8 beats min, P , 0.05) were significantly different between groups. Venous blood was collected at rest (R) prior to ET and the following oxidant–antioxidant markers were determined: uric acid (UA), ascorbic acid (AA), a-tocopherol (Vit E), vitamin A (Vit A), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione (reduced: GSH and oxidized: GSSG), glutathione redox ratio (GRR), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se), oxidized proteins (Protox), lipid peroxides (Pool), antioxidant capacity of water-soluble components (ACW) and antioxidant capacity of lipid-soluble components (ACL). The following markers were further determined 15 min (E15) after the ET: UA, ACW, AA, GSH, Protox, Pool, ACL. Standardbreds had significantly higher concentrations of ACW, GSH, ACL and Protox, whilst Se, Zn and SOD were significantly lower than in eventing horses. Exercise induced a significant increase in ACW and UA. GSH decreased in eventing horses and Pool significantly decreased in both horse groups. This study describes a field ET of high intensity for Standardbred and eventing horses, which could be performed by all animals tested. By sampling blood at rest and at E15, changes of the hydrophilic antioxidant defence were partially assessed, whereas no interpretable changes of the lipophilic antioxidants and of oxidation markers (Protox, Pool) could be detected.