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Electrocardiographic evaluation of horses after polo exercise

Electrocardiography can be used to quantify the training and athletic performance as well as evaluating the cardiac function under the effect of exercise identifying the influence of cardiac anomalies, and deleterious effects of stress ahead of heart function. Considering the complexity of the physical efforts inherent in polo ponies in competitions, together with the lack of reports in the literature, on the demand resulting for heart. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate the cardiac effects of electrocardiographic exercise in polo horses in order to support data for understanding the physiological cardiac demand of this sport. We evaluated 27 equine practitioner polo at rest and between five and ten minutes after exercise. The results showed that the observed changes in the duration and P wave amplitude and duration of PR and QT interval were considered in physiological response to increased heart rate. The diphasic P wave found at rest and when atrial hypertrophy represented bifida represented different points of activation of the sinoatrial node. As expected, the QRS complex has not undergone major changes. The ST-segment elevation and T wave changes observed after exercise could pose adverse effects to the myocardium, but studies examining multiple factors are needed to confirm this association and define your actual question. The increase in QTc suggested fatigue mild myocardial represented high heart demand for this type of exercise. The heart score showed that these animals were within the pattern of cardiac adaptation to a horse athlete. The rapid recovery of HR showed good conditioning of these animals. The pacemaker migration was observed in most animals proven to be a normal finding horse athlete. We observed a low incidence of changes in cardiac rhythm.

Cardiac function; electrocardiographic index; physiology exercise


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