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4th international conference on equine exercise physiology
tance enourance compeuuons. "It has been recognized by veteri4TH INTERNATIONAL narians and horse trainers that basic CONFERENCE ON EQUINE understanding of the physiological proEXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY cesses associated with differing forms of exercise and scientific evaluation of traditional training programs are necThe Kooralbyn, a Queensland resort hotel, was a very nice place to hold essary if improvement in performance and minimization of injuries are to be the 4th International Conference on achieved. Equine Exercise Physiology. These "With this background, the First Conferences have been held every 4th year since 1982, sponsored by The InInternational Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology was conceived and ternational Committee on Equine Exercise Physiology. The Committee was brought to fruition in Oxford in Sepestablished through the initiative of Dr. tember 1982. The response to a call for David Snow along with Dr. Gary papers was overwhelming-- so much Carlson. The Committee so that extensive poster sesis now looking forward to sions were included to peranother successful Confermit all the material to be preence in Japan in 1998. sented over a 3-day period. Members of the current "The large attendance of Committee are- Dr. Jerry 150 delegates from 21 counR. Gillespie, USA; Dr. tries confirmed the wideHarold Hintz, USA; Dr. spread interest in equine exHans Hoppeler, Switzerercise physiology and enland; Dr. David Hodgson, abled research workers and Australia; Dr. Leo Jeffcott, practicing veterinarians to England; Dr. Pierre exchange views. We hope Lekeux, Belgium; Dr. that this Conference will Sune G. B. Persson, Swestimulate further research den; and Dr. Reuben Rose, work, so that at the next meetAustralia. Dr. Snow and ing in California, scheduled Dr. Carlson retired from for August 1986, further mysthe Committee this year. teries of the equine athlete In 1982 the editors of may be revealed..." the proceedings of the And so it was. The Califirst Conference (Snow, fornia Conference was very Persson, Rose) explained successful, due to the orgathe need for these Confernizers of the first, according ences: "Research into exto P r o c e e d i n g s editors ercise physiology has been Gillespie and Robinson. In largely responsible for the their foreword to the Prodramatic improvements in ceedings they wrote: "Goals human athletic perfor- Figure 1. Dr. Reuben Rose conducting business at the registra- for the second Conference mance over the last 25 tion booth in the lovely convention facility at the Kooralbyn were similar to those of the years. In contrast, equine Hotel-Resort. first. R e c o g n i z i n g the les were cameo out Oy me ~ngllsn ano German groups at the end of the last century, there was then a large interval before studies were recommenced in Sweden in the mid-nineteen sixties. The development of specialized high speed treadmills has enabled Swedish workers to perform a variety of sophisticated techniques to assess physiological responses to exercise and training in Standardbred horses. "More recently, there has been an upsurge in research throughout the world into all aspects of equine exercise physiology and biochemistry. Horses are required to compete in a
434
JOURNAL OF EQUINEVETERINARY SCIENCE
Figure 2. The posters were a very Important aspect of the Conference. Each day a new set of posters were set up in the poster area and studied by the delegates.
growth and maturation of this relatively new discipline, we anticipated a greater number of submitted papers with sophisticated scientific content and a greater number of participants. Our expectations were fulfilled in every respect; 72 of the 125 papers submitted were accepted for presentation and the 157 participants represented 20 countries. "Clearly, the diverse interest in this discipline would be lacking were it not for the unique athletic prowess of the horse. The supremacy of the horse as a running athlete was not fully appreciated until aspects of body functions were studied during exercise. Papers from the first and second Conferences have documented unique adaptations of the horse as an athlete. It seems fitting that we acknowledge the athletic horse, which is ultimately responsible for our scientific discipline, and for a great deal of pleasure and intellectual excitement." "The Third International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology held in Uppsala, Sweden, in July 1990 was a most successful meeting," wrote the Proceedings editors Persson,
Volume 14, Number 8, 1994
Lindholm, and Jeffcott. "It was attended by 191 delegates from 25 different countries all intimately involved with different aspects of exercise physiology in horses. The facilities at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Ultuna, were excellent for providing just the right scientific and social atmo-
sphere. Much was learned during those four days not only from 60 formal papers given and 20 poster presentations, but also from the workshops, demonstrations, trade exhibition and social gatherings that took place... "The general standard of the papers and the investigations carried out were excellent and demonstrated the innovative thrust of the research being currently undertaken. We believe that some significant contributions to knowledge were reported, some previous theories have been confirmed or rejected and, most important of all, many of the investigations have pointed the way to further research. All in all a very healthy state of affairs for this field of study." There were 180 delegates participating in the 4th Conference, from 25 countries. The posters were a strong part of the scientific reporting, and special sessions were held providing for 5minute summaries of each of the 61 posters by the principal investigators. Time was also provided for questions regarding the posters. There were 48 full-length papers presented, including 4 papers classified as"integrative." The
Figure 3. Plenty of time for questions and answers were provided after each paper was presented. Here Dr. Reuben Rose and Dr. Leo Jeffcott (front) respond to a question from the audience. 435
Figure 4.
Lunches were provided in a pleasant location. Here Dr. Joe Pagan discusses nutrition with fellow delegates.
I'm feeling tired and lonely I'm feeling down and blue I want to go to ICEEP But I don't know what to do My grants have been rejected My dog has got the flu I've got the ICEEP blues Chorus I got treadmills in my dreams Seeing homes makes me scream My lab book's gone missing My hard disk's crashed too I've got the ICEEP blues
THE ICEEP BLUES © Words and musicby ReubenRose The abstract's due tomorrow i've got an N of one I'll run him twice this afternoon to get statistics done I'll write up the results and hope that they come true I've got the ICEEP blues
Conference was divided into 7 sessions representing the various subtopics of equine exercise physiology. Eight workshops were held on various topics of special interest to equine exercise physiologists. The Conference was superbly organized by Dr. Reuben Rose and was smoothly run by Rose and his National Committee Chairman John R. Thornton and the National and International Cornmittees. In addition to all the behindthe-scene activities Rose was involved in, he attended all of the sessions and contributed heavily with thought-provoking questions after many of the presentations. All of the speakers were presented with an inscribed boomerang denoting their contribution to the Conference.
Today I got a letter They've accepted what I've done Now I must write a paper It's hard with an N of one I need some data manipulation The statisticians tool I've got the ICEEP blues Now I am at the meeting My paper's due real soon I'm shaking and I'm twitching My nightmere's coming true My chairman's asked me e question I haven't got a clue I've got the ICEEP blues
~-A mysterious entertainer, rumored to be Reuben Rose, appeared suddenly at the banquet and played and sang several original songs, to the delight of everyone in attendance.
--,Reuben Rose, in costume, performing at the ICEEP banquet.
436
JOURNAL OF EQUINE VETERINARY SCIENCE
Professor Rose said, "This is the largest number of papers presented to date at an ICEEP meeting. I think the overall standard was outstanding and many of the papers examined important practical questions, as well as the usual theoretical experiments. The new area of Applied Physiology of Athletic Performance was particularly useful and brought a number of areas together at the practical level." The Conference Banquet was a very special treat because of the extraordinary talent of Reuben Rose, who sang and played the piano to the delight of all. What made it so special was the song he wrote for the occasion (both words and music), "The ICEEP Blues." In addition he sang another of his own compositions, "Get a Vet." After generous portions of wine, the entire banquet was happy to sing the chorus along with Reuben (see the side bar for the words to "The ICEEP Blues."
ICEEP W O R K S H O P S How useful are submaximal exercise tests to forecast performance? Exercise testing began in Sweden in the 1960s and has become increasingly used with the availability of high speed treadmills. The workshop on exercise testing examined the use of both track and treadmill tests and focused attention on submaximal values because many horse owners are uncomfortable about horses being exercised at maximal intensities. There was recognition that values such as the heart rate at 140 bpm (V140) and heart rate at 180 bpm (V180), which have been used in the past, are subject to a lot of error. Dr. Bernard Auvinet from France presented interesting data on track testing using heart rate meters and lactate concentrations m e a s u r e d after d i f f e r e n t submaximal speeds on the track to determine VLA 4 and V200 throughout training. Regular monitoring of these
Volume 14, Number 8, 1994
Figure 5. The banquet provided an opportunity to become better acquainted with other exercise physiologists around the world and also time for some serious discussions. Here Dr. Pierre Lekeux, Belgium, talks with Dr. Mikihiko Tokuriki, Japan. variables throughout training in Standardbred trotters enabled detection of optimum fitness ar;c.i :~,~dicated when clinical problem,~ :i t'fcctcd exercise capacity. Dr. Ma~,~mne SI~:,~' ~esentcd material from Utrecht w:~.~r,: the routine is to ride horses en the treadmill to evaluate gait as well as determine submaximal exercise capacity. Over-
all, it was the general agreement of the participants at the workshop that while there were correlations between some submaximal indices and maximal exercise capacity, the strength of the relationship was only modest. Furthermore, various studies throughout the world have shown that the best correlations of physiological measurements with ex-
Figure 6. There was a strong Australian representation at the conference. Here Drs. Reuben Rose and David Hodgson exchange a joke, with Warwick Bayly looking on (center).
437
434
JOURNAL OF EQUINEVETERINARY SCIENCE
Figure 2. The posters were a very Important aspect of the Conference. Each day a new set of posters were set up in the poster area and studied by the delegates.
growth and maturation of this relatively new discipline, we anticipated a greater number of submitted papers with sophisticated scientific content and a greater number of participants. Our expectations were fulfilled in every respect; 72 of the 125 papers submitted were accepted for presentation and the 157 participants represented 20 countries. "Clearly, the diverse interest in this discipline would be lacking were it not for the unique athletic prowess of the horse. The supremacy of the horse as a running athlete was not fully appreciated until aspects of body functions were studied during exercise. Papers from the first and second Conferences have documented unique adaptations of the horse as an athlete. It seems fitting that we acknowledge the athletic horse, which is ultimately responsible for our scientific discipline, and for a great deal of pleasure and intellectual excitement." "The Third International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology held in Uppsala, Sweden, in July 1990 was a most successful meeting," wrote the Proceedings editors Persson,
Volume 14, Number 8, 1994
Lindholm, and Jeffcott. "It was attended by 191 delegates from 25 different countries all intimately involved with different aspects of exercise physiology in horses. The facilities at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Ultuna, were excellent for providing just the right scientific and social atmo-
sphere. Much was learned during those four days not only from 60 formal papers given and 20 poster presentations, but also from the workshops, demonstrations, trade exhibition and social gatherings that took place... "The general standard of the papers and the investigations carried out were excellent and demonstrated the innovative thrust of the research being currently undertaken. We believe that some significant contributions to knowledge were reported, some previous theories have been confirmed or rejected and, most important of all, many of the investigations have pointed the way to further research. All in all a very healthy state of affairs for this field of study." There were 180 delegates participating in the 4th Conference, from 25 countries. The posters were a strong part of the scientific reporting, and special sessions were held providing for 5minute summaries of each of the 61 posters by the principal investigators. Time was also provided for questions regarding the posters. There were 48 full-length papers presented, including 4 papers classified as"integrative." The
Figure 3. Plenty of time for questions and answers were provided after each paper was presented. Here Dr. Reuben Rose and Dr. Leo Jeffcott (front) respond to a question from the audience. 435
Figure 4.
Lunches were provided in a pleasant location. Here Dr. Joe Pagan discusses nutrition with fellow delegates.
I'm feeling tired and lonely I'm feeling down and blue I want to go to ICEEP But I don't know what to do My grants have been rejected My dog has got the flu I've got the ICEEP blues Chorus I got treadmills in my dreams Seeing homes makes me scream My lab book's gone missing My hard disk's crashed too I've got the ICEEP blues
THE ICEEP BLUES © Words and musicby ReubenRose The abstract's due tomorrow i've got an N of one I'll run him twice this afternoon to get statistics done I'll write up the results and hope that they come true I've got the ICEEP blues
Conference was divided into 7 sessions representing the various subtopics of equine exercise physiology. Eight workshops were held on various topics of special interest to equine exercise physiologists. The Conference was superbly organized by Dr. Reuben Rose and was smoothly run by Rose and his National Committee Chairman John R. Thornton and the National and International Cornmittees. In addition to all the behindthe-scene activities Rose was involved in, he attended all of the sessions and contributed heavily with thought-provoking questions after many of the presentations. All of the speakers were presented with an inscribed boomerang denoting their contribution to the Conference.
Today I got a letter They've accepted what I've done Now I must write a paper It's hard with an N of one I need some data manipulation The statisticians tool I've got the ICEEP blues Now I am at the meeting My paper's due real soon I'm shaking and I'm twitching My nightmere's coming true My chairman's asked me e question I haven't got a clue I've got the ICEEP blues
~-A mysterious entertainer, rumored to be Reuben Rose, appeared suddenly at the banquet and played and sang several original songs, to the delight of everyone in attendance.
--,Reuben Rose, in costume, performing at the ICEEP banquet.
436
JOURNAL OF EQUINE VETERINARY SCIENCE
Professor Rose said, "This is the largest number of papers presented to date at an ICEEP meeting. I think the overall standard was outstanding and many of the papers examined important practical questions, as well as the usual theoretical experiments. The new area of Applied Physiology of Athletic Performance was particularly useful and brought a number of areas together at the practical level." The Conference Banquet was a very special treat because of the extraordinary talent of Reuben Rose, who sang and played the piano to the delight of all. What made it so special was the song he wrote for the occasion (both words and music), "The ICEEP Blues." In addition he sang another of his own compositions, "Get a Vet." After generous portions of wine, the entire banquet was happy to sing the chorus along with Reuben (see the side bar for the words to "The ICEEP Blues."
ICEEP W O R K S H O P S How useful are submaximal exercise tests to forecast performance? Exercise testing began in Sweden in the 1960s and has become increasingly used with the availability of high speed treadmills. The workshop on exercise testing examined the use of both track and treadmill tests and focused attention on submaximal values because many horse owners are uncomfortable about horses being exercised at maximal intensities. There was recognition that values such as the heart rate at 140 bpm (V140) and heart rate at 180 bpm (V180), which have been used in the past, are subject to a lot of error. Dr. Bernard Auvinet from France presented interesting data on track testing using heart rate meters and lactate concentrations m e a s u r e d after d i f f e r e n t submaximal speeds on the track to determine VLA 4 and V200 throughout training. Regular monitoring of these
Volume 14, Number 8, 1994
Figure 5. The banquet provided an opportunity to become better acquainted with other exercise physiologists around the world and also time for some serious discussions. Here Dr. Pierre Lekeux, Belgium, talks with Dr. Mikihiko Tokuriki, Japan. variables throughout training in Standardbred trotters enabled detection of optimum fitness ar;c.i :~,~dicated when clinical problem,~ :i t'fcctcd exercise capacity. Dr. Ma~,~mne SI~:,~' ~esentcd material from Utrecht w:~.~r,: the routine is to ride horses en the treadmill to evaluate gait as well as determine submaximal exercise capacity. Over-
all, it was the general agreement of the participants at the workshop that while there were correlations between some submaximal indices and maximal exercise capacity, the strength of the relationship was only modest. Furthermore, various studies throughout the world have shown that the best correlations of physiological measurements with ex-
Figure 6. There was a strong Australian representation at the conference. Here Drs. Reuben Rose and David Hodgson exchange a joke, with Warwick Bayly looking on (center).
437