title: Training-induced changes in clotting parameters of athletic horses.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of training on prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen (Fb) concentrations in horses to assess potential adaptive response to training. Fifteen clinically healthy horses were enrolled in the present study and equally divided into three groups. Group A completed an intense training program, group B participated in a light training program, and group C included sedentary horses. After 5 weeks, group B was subjected to the same training program completed by group A and renamed group B1. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture from each animal at rest and analyzed within 2 h after sampling. A two-way ANOVA for repeated measures showed a significant effect of training (p < 0.05) on Fb concentrations in group B1 alone during the first week after changing the training program. Our findings demonstrated that Fb is a parameter susceptible to training. Fb plasma levels increase with a more intense training program. However, Fb plasma levels decreased after the first week and returned to basel levels, suggesting that the horses had adapted to the new training program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.guiseppe.piccione@unime.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piccione
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bazzano
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giannetto
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marafioti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fazio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time / Q000662:veterinary*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D011517:Prothrombin Time / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D005340:Fibrinogen
keywords: activated partial thromboplastin time; fibrinogen; horse; prothrombin time; training