Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Erythrocytes Hemolysis in Well-Trained Equine Athletes Before and After Exercise

The chronic exposure to regular exercise training seems to increase resistance to oxidative stress and improves the antioxidant defense system. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of an exercise test of moderate intensity on oxidative stress biomarkers, antioxidant enzymes activity, and osmotic resistance of erythrocytes in well-trained equine athletes. Eighteen middle-aged horses of Ukrainian warmblood (8.3 ± 1.6 years) and Holsteiner (7.4 ± 1.9 years) breeds were used in this study. All horses have been in regular training for several years. The exercise test induced a significant increase of erythrocyte values, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit in horses of both breeds. Regular training induces activation the antioxidant enzymes and thereby can reduce oxidative stress in athletic horses. Our results suggest that the exercise test in horses of both breeds attenuates oxidative stress and accompanied with a significant decrease of lipid peroxidation and oxidatively modified proteins in erythrocytes after exercise. The findings of the present study demonstrated the elevated level of erythrocytes' catalase and glutathione reductase in Ukrainian warmblood horses, as well as decreased level of superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase in Holsteiner horses reporting changes in levels of exercise-induced oxidative stress biomarkers in horses of both breeds. Statistically significant differences in the percentage of hemolyzed erythrocytes between pre-exercise and postexercise tests were observed and thereby signifying an oxidative stress-dependent impairment of erythrocyte stability. Our data suggest that oxidative stress and enzymatic antioxidant defense biomarkers can be used for the monitoring of fitness level, health benefits, and performance of equine athletes.