Equine Altitude Training System
The first studies how altitude influence on horses date back to the sixties, but in 1971, after the victory of Canoner II on the derby in Kentacky, which had been at altitude preparations for several weeks, the method became familiar to a wider circle and has become an integral part of race horses’s regular training, similar to athletes’s training.
The altitude training method “sleep high – train low” is, similar to athletes, the most common method of altitude training for horses. For horses, it is carried out by an altitude – hypoxic box. Fresh, clean air, from which some of the oxygen is removed, is continiously supplied to the stall, where the conditions that correspond to the selected altitude are thus created. It could be said that the box is ventilated with hypoxic air. In this manner, the conditions for staying at an altitude can be created anywhere. In addition to altitude sleeping, another method of altitude training is becoming more and more prominent, namely the altitude exercise performed in a hypoxic chamber with a running ergometer for horses.
Altitude training requires the body to make certain physiological adaptations even in horses, similar as in elite athletes. At the same time, it increases aerobic power and endurance, which reflect the true genetic potential of a horse. This increased stamina and performance reflects in speed and stamina, efficient training, faster and much more efficient recovery after intensive training and reduced possibility of injuries after intensive training.
The altitude system for horses can have a form of an altitude box, altitude stable or altitude chamber for a horse. An altitude chamber can be equipped with running ergometer for horses. Altitude system allows for a large flow of hypoxic air, which ensures that the amounts of CO2 and ammonia are within acceptable limits.
Altitude stalls , altitude stables or altitude chambers are custom made for each individual customer, so CONTACT US for more information.
SAY NO TO DOPING WITH EQUINE ALTITUDE TRAINING
To improve the athletic abilities of race horses, the use of illicit substances also increased. In addition to the fact that the use of these additives is illegal, many of these substances potentially endanger the health of horses.
Compared with illicit substances, the equine altitude training method is completely harmless. Altitude training is actually the adaptation of the physiological mechanisms of horses to high altitude, without side effects and even supports the health of horses.
MEDISPORT EQUINE ALTITUDE TRAINING SYSTEM
Equine Altitude Training System is adapted to the specific needs of horses or the environment, which is different from the altitude training area for people. With equine altitude training system, we can create an environment with any altitude in small boxes, stables or big halls for equine altitude training.
The equine altitude training system can be placed anywhere at any altitude, it is particularly effective on the sea-level, where horses can use the training method “TRAIN LOW – SLEEP HIGH”, where they sleep at altitude and train on the lowland.
In altitude space, no matter if is altitude box or altitude hall horses can in addition to sleep perform also altitude exercise on treadmill where no mask is required, since the altitude training environment is already prepared.
The Equine Altitude Training System is designed of four sets of equipment:
- an air preparation,
- a hypoxic modul
- a hypoxic pipe ventilation system
- a control unit system
The computerized control system connects and controls all components and enables the use of the altitude environment according to a standard protocol or custom user protocol. Systems are designed for a 24/7/365 operation. Since equine altitude places are ventilated with hypoxic air, they have no problems with CO2, ammonia or humidity. The complex HEPA filtration system ensures air purified to 0.o1 microns. If demanded, the flow of hypoxic air can reach more than 10.000l per minute.
Medisport Equine Altitude Training Systems allows use of any altitude for desired number of animals. The system can be used for an equine altitude sleeping and /or an equine altitude exercise. On the basis of specific needs, the altitude system can be designed as a portable system based on an altitude modular chamber or a stand alone inflatable chamber.
WHAT CAN THE MEDISPORT EQUINE ALTITUDE TRAINING SYSTEM OFFER?
A computerized control system adjusts and monitors oxygen content in room air. The control system operates 24 hours / 7 days a week and allows connection, monitoring, change of settings and intervention in real time by Medisport Altitude Systems and by the user even when it is not physically present.
Large LCD with touch screen displaying every individual altitude rooms. The system provides the settings displayed on the LCD screen: set altitude, current altitude (both in oxygen percentage and meters), time, manual altitude setting, schedule altitude setting, time settings, schedule timeline settings, altitude hysteresis. An additional option – monitoring humidity and temperature.
Audible and visual alarm in the case of deviations from the preset rates, recorded in the alarm archive for later diagnostics. Shutdown of the system only in the box, stable or hall where deviations occur.
Simulation of any altitude, 8,000 m (7% O2) or more if needed (which, of course does not make any sense if considers equine altitude training).
A ventilation system that operates in such a way that the altitude space is ventilated with hypoxic air to ensure fresh, purified air by achieving the desired altitude.
Air flow to 10.000 L / m or more, depending on the power of the system or customer’s needs.
The complex HEPA filtration system ensures air purified to 0.o1 microns.
The complex system for removing unwanted biological gases.
The possibility of building an environmental chamber that can simulate conditions in different climatic environments: dry, hot, cold, humidity, hypoxic,…
Support from Medisport Altitude Systems before delivery, after delivery and for many years ahead.
Medisport Equine Altitude Training Systems are made to order, according to invester’s capability, needs and wishes. Please, CONTACT US.
PHYSIOLOGY OF HYPOXIC TRAINING WITH SIMULATED ALTITUDE
The physiological response of the horse’s body, its adaptation on high altitude is the key to understand the benefits of equine altitude-hypoxic training. The higher we go, the lower is the air pressure and lower is parcial pressure of all gases in the atmospheric air, including oxygen, thus the rate of oxygen transfer from the lungs to the blood also drops. Consequently, this results in less oxygen to the body tissues. In response, on reduced oxygen supply, the body responds with a series of physiological adaptations to provide enough oxygen.
Horses exposed to heigh altitude develop physiological adaptation which enable them to develop maximum aerobic power over a longer time interval and recover faster and more effectively after intense workout. Exercise is more effective with fewer injuries in training and racing.
PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS
Improved aerobic power and stamina is reflected through:
- Increased concentration of mitochondria in skeletal muscle cells, increases aerobic capacity
- Increased blood capacity, which affects the reduction of lactate and the higher aerobic threshold.
- Raising maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max)
- Changes in the consumption of muscle glycogen, fat and carbohydrate metabolism prolong the aerobic energy metabolism.
- Lower formation of lactate – lactic acid, due to the lower use of glycogen in the muscles.
- Increased oxidative enzymatic capacity in muscles improves aerobic ability and raises anaerobic threshold
Improved cardiovascular system is reflected through:
- Improved endurance with larger heart reserve
- Increased ability of the heart with increased total cardiac output and stroke volume
- Improved filling of the heart chambers in the phase when it rests, increases the efficiency of the heart
- Increased ability of the heart with increased total cardiac output and stroke volume
- Increased endurance and cardiac efficiency with enhanced myocardial energy efficiency
- Reducing the maximum heart rate at exercise, increases the ability of the heart at high intense exercise
Deep and fast recovery:
- Faster recovery after high-intensity exercise
- More effective exercise reduces the number of training sessions
- Shorter preparation time
- Less fatigue and less chance of injury due to more effective training and consequently a smaller number of training cycles.
Improved pulmonary function is reflected through:
- Increased VO2max, increases oxygen consumption, which improves aerobic power
- Increased oxidative enzymatic capacity in muscles improves aerobic ability and raises anaerobic threshold
- Increased strength of the respiratory muscles, improves breathing efficiency
- Increased mass flow of red blood cells, improves the transport of oxygen to cells
- Increased hemoglobin’s tendency to release oxygen in the skeletal muscles
- Improved transformation properties of red blood cellss, improve blood flow through the microcapsillary system in the muscles.
- Increased volume of inhaled air increases the exchange of oxygen in the lungs
- Increased air flow through the lung alveoli increases the inhaled amount of oxygen in the lungs
- Increasing diphosphoglycerate level in red blood cells enables release of oxygen from red blood cells to skeletal muscles.
- Increased capillary density in skeletal muscles enables more efficient oxygen transfer to muscles and faster removal of lactate or lactic acid from the muscles.
HISTORY OF (EQUINE) ALTITUDE TRAINING
After the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968, where the sports world witnessed the effects of simulated altitude and which showed that athletes who include altitude training in their training regime are more successful than their colleagues.
In the years after the Olympic year of 1968, when athletes set new standards in competitions, there was no change or progress in the field of horse racing. Improved results and progress in the field of sports competitions took place thanks to new training programs and the inclusion of altitude training in them, which improved the aerobic power and endurance of athletes.
The first reports about studies done on horses and their response on high altitude date back to the sixties, but the altitude training method was generally accepted in 1971, after winning of the nofavored Canonera II on the derby in Kentacky and Preakness, which had been at high altitude for several weeks in Venezuela.
Later the altitude training method become extremely interesting in the field of race horses, after the incredible effects of this method have been demonstrated among elite athletes. Most do not know that the organism of a horse is very similar to human in terms of sport and function and the knowlage that apply to athletes can in most cases also be used in the physical preparation of horses. Using the latest altitude simulation technology horse trainers have seen increased aerobic power and stamina that reflect the true genetic potential of a horse.
This increased durability is reflected in: more effective exercise, faster and more effective recovery after intense exercise, reduced injuries after intense exercise and reduced need for rest.
Contact
Medisport AltitudeTraining
SI-1215, Slovenia
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