| dc.description.abstract | In Chapter 1 the Polar system is validated.
Materials and methods: Polar RS800 CX-model (Polar® Electro Oy, Kempele, Finland), telemetric ECG system (3-lead Spacelab Holter system, Del Mar Reynolds Medical, Hertford, UK). Nine horses measured during one week. Three Polar error correction settings compared to ECG-results.
Results: Results obtained by the RMSSD showed a higher R2 compared to R2 of the SD scatter diagrams. Significant correlation was confirmed in RMSSD models of the Polar 1 and the 2 setting during rest and walk.
During walk of the Polar 1 and the Polar 2 setting an R2 of respectively 0.695 and 0.717 in contrast to the resting values of the Polar 1 and the Polar 2 setting with an R2 of respectively 0.600 and 0.458, was calculated.
SD, on the other hand, only showed significant correlation with ECG-results after extraction of two horses with second-degree AV-block in the Polar 2 and the Polar 3 setting. Nevertheless, the scatter plots of both the Polar 2 and the Polar 3 setting still displayed a low R2 after extraction of these two horses.
Conclusions: Polar RS800 CX-model with a low filter correction (Polar 2) in the walking-gait was chosen to be used instead of an ECG-telemetric system for gathering HRV-data in the form of RMSSD for practical reasons.
In Chapter 2, the effect of exercise on HRV is investigated.
Materials and Methods: nine horses measured ten weeks by the Polar system (Chapter 1). Three groups: elite, midclass, non-elite. Four activity-levels (rest, walker training, dressage training, trail conditioning).
Results: Elite horses had an RMSSD which was significantly higher compared to the RMSSD of midclass and non-elite horses after a resting day. The midclass horses also had a significantly lower RMSSD compared to the RMSSD of non-elite horses after a day of rest.
After walker training the elite class had an RMSSD significantly higher compared to the RMSSD of midclass horses.
There was a decrease in RMSSD measured in all the horses grouped together (elite and midclass) from measurements after a walker training day compared to the RMSSD the day after trail conditioning.
When comparing the RMSSD after walker training with the RMSSD after a day of rest, all classes included, the RMSSD after a day of walker training was significantly higher than the RMSSD after a day of rest.
Conclusions: Various levels of activity had a significant effect on the HRV and the groups of trained horses had different HRV alterations secondary to various levels of activity.
In Chapter 3, the effect of lameness on HRV is investigated.
Materials and methods: Nine horses measured (2 lame, 7 sound), during ten weeks (Chapter 2).
Results: The elite-horse had a higher mean RMSSD than the permanently lame non-elite horse.
Conclusion: No significant differences in HRV in lame versus sound horses were found in this study design. The two lame horses showed a significant difference between their mean RMSSD values, where the elite horse had a higher RMSSD compared to the permanently lame horse in the non-elite group. | |
