Physiological Parameters of Endurance Horses Pre- Compared to Post-Race, Correlated with Performance: A Two Race Study from Scandinavia

Table 3

(a) Plasma values for horses in race A taken before and after a 120 km race. Values are presented as mean ± s.d. or median [Q1. Q3]. (b) Plasma values for horses in race B taken before (8–12 hrs) and after the race (average of 3 hrs and 48 mins and 24 hrs, respectively). Values are presented as mean ± s.d.

(a)  

	Pre-race value	Post-race value	Statistical significance
CK	210±57	2242 [1375. 5685]	1810% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
AST	329±44	450 [392. 559]	58% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
ALT	11.6±1.67	27 [19. 39]	177% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
Creatinine	92.50±13.13	130.61±17.74	41% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
BUN	5.54±1.08	8.64±1.31	56% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
GGT	10.69±3.64	10.46±3.45	NS
Bilirubin	22.85±5.63	64.96±12.64	184% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
Cholesterol	2.25±0.32	2.42±0.36	8% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
ALP	464±158	567±169	22% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
Total protein	68.35±4.46	69.55±3.64	NS
Albumin	36.38±1.78	37.56±2.31	3% ↑ 𝑃=0.04
SAA	0.1±0.03	0.2 [0.2. 0.3]	1850% ↑^1𝑃<0.01
Iron. 𝜇mol/L	22.93±4.59	13.81±6.86	40% ↓ 𝑃<0.01
Inorg. P	0.80±0.16	1.27±0.18	59% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
Na	142.80±0.92	146.43±2.81	3% ↑ 𝑃<0.01
K	3.55±0.52	3.19±0.32	10% ↓ 𝑃=0.05
Cl	104.50±1.46	101.02±2.84	3% ↓ 𝑃<0.01
Glucose	6.6 [6.35. 7.02]	4.90±1.36	30% ↓ 𝑃<0.01
Triglyceride	0.15±0.07	0.44±0.21	193% ↑ 𝑃<0.01

Statistical significance: NS 𝑃>0.05. % = [(mean prevalue − mean postvalue)/(mean prevalue) * 100]. ¹280% if horse K is excluded for reasons of it being an outliner.

(b)  

	Pre-race	Post-race I	Post-race II	Changes pre-race to post-race I	Changes post-race I to post-race II
CK	385±327.94	1576.19±1371.61	460.56±219.69	NS	71% ↓ 𝑃<0.0001
AST	360.5±224.5	457.13±247.02	453±243.16	27% ↑ 𝑃<0.0001	1% ↓ 𝑃<0.0001
ALT	8.5±9.63	17.88±11.52	18.13±12.76	110% ↑ 𝑃<0.0001	1% ↑ 𝑃<0.0001
Creatinine	94.26±17.16	112.34±18.81	97.25±13.4	19% ↑ 𝑃<0.05	13% ↓ 𝑃<0.01
BUN	5.57±0.9	8.89±1.83	7.8±1.25	60% ↑ 𝑃<0.01	12% ↓ 𝑃<0.0001
GGT	6.75±3.17	8.94±3.17	8.69±2.75	32% ↑𝑃<0.0001	3% ↓ 𝑃<0.0001
Bilirubin	19.15±6	30.65±12.08	26.43±8.73	60% ↑𝑃<0.01	14% ↓ 𝑃<0.001
Cholesterol	2.28±0.3	2.36±0.34	2.27±0.25	4% ↑ 𝑃<0.0001	4% ↓ 𝑃<0.0001
ALP	337.75±69.1	422.88±97.83	423.13±114.21	25% ↑ 𝑃<0.0001	0% ↓ 𝑃<0.0001
TP	69.98±3.97	67.84±4.34	65.39±3.23	3% ↓ 𝑃<0.001	4% ↓ 𝑃<0.0001
Albumin	33.25±4.91	33±3.68	31.68±2.72	NS	NS
SAA	0.03±0.04	6.51±14.03	29.36±63.73	NS	351% ↑ 𝑃<0.0001
Inorg. P	0.86±0.16	1.31±0.22	1.22±0.23	52% ↑ 𝑃<0.01	NS
Iron	25.44±5.47	7.49±2.81	18.72±5.04	NS	NS
Na	141.63±1.55	138.66±2.21	141.29±1.96	NS	NS
K	4.61±0.63	4.26±0.64	3.51±0.57	NS	NS
Cl	105.32±1.63	101.16±3.01	103.49±2.32	NS	2% ↑ 𝑃<0.001
Ca	3.26±0.16	3.21±0.24	2.98±0.19	NS	7% ↓ 𝑃<0.05
Mg	0.76±0.03	0.73±0.09	0.73±0.06	NS	NS

Reference values (given by the analysing laboratory), CK (0–348 U/L), AST (228–366 U/L), and ALT (0–25.8 U/L). Creatinine (30–130 𝜇mol/L), BUN (3.30–8.0 mmol/L), GGT (4.32–13.2 U/L), bilirubin (0.0–52.0 𝜇mol/L.), cholesterol (1.94–3.89 mmol/L), ALP (0–786 U/L), total protein (TP) (57.0–74.0 g/L), albumin (28.0–40.0 g/L), SAA (not specified, about 0–10), inorganic phosphatise (Inorg. P) (0.7–1.70 mmol/L), iron (13.10–25.10 𝜇mol/L), sodium (Na) (132–146 mmol/L), potassium (K) (2.44–4.80 mmol/L), chloride (Cl) (99–109 mmol/L), glucose (4.16–6.39 mmol/L) and triglyceride (1.0–5.0 mmol/L).