Summary
This study will address the important problem of musculoskeletal injuries caused by high intensity exercise during training and racing in young racehorses. In particular this study will examine the effect of different levels of high speed galloping on microdamage accumulation, modelling and remodelling during early training. These processes appear to be critically important in both the adaptive response of bone to loading as well as the development on bone fatigue injury. However the timing and magnitude of microdamage formation, bone resorption and new bone formation in response to the initiation of high intensity training has not been well characterised. The aim of this study is to determine what type of loading pattern during early training induces the bone adaptive response is most likely to resist fatigue injury. This data will also provide valuable insights into the molecular and cellular activities that occur during early bone remodelling in response to training. This information can be used to incorporate training strategies that reduce injury in 2 and 3 year old racehorses while still allowing horses to gain fitness and adapt their musculoskeletal system to the rigors of racing.
Program
Thoroughbred Horses
Research Organisation
The University of Queensland
Objective Summary
1. Develop a minimallyinvasive bone biopsy technique to examine the response of bone to exercise in a highly controlled manner in experimental animals. 2. To use quantitative PCR, dynamic histomorphometry, μCT and specialised bone histology techniques to characterise the early molecular, cellular and mechanical responses of bone to high intensity exercise. 3. To determine to what extent bone remodelling is increased or decreased during high intensity training. 4. To determine if the bone microdamage burden is increased during early training and if this microdamage is involved in the initiation of an excessive remodelling response. 5. To determine what changes occur in the fatigue and remodelling response of bone to variations in the intensity, frequency and duration of exercise.
Project Code
PRJ-005116
Project Stage
Closed
Project Start Date
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Project Completion Date
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Journal Articles From Project
Not Available
National Priority
Frontier technologies for building and transforming Australian industries
National Priority
Adoption of R&D
National Priority
HOR-Reduce the incidence and impact of diseases and parasites in horses