Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How endurance training affects heart rate and blood lactate in puppies
By Hyytiäinen, Heli et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2026·Department of Clinical Equine and Small Animal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Endurance training-induced changes in heart rate and blood lactate concentration in puppies.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Labrador retriever puppies under six months old underwent an eight-week endurance training program to see how it affected their heart rate and blood lactate levels after exercise. The puppies that trained showed a decrease in heart rate and blood lactate levels after a sprint compared to their baseline measurements, indicating some positive changes from the training. Importantly, no negative effects were noted during the training period. This suggests that a structured exercise program can be safe for young puppies, but more research is needed to understand the long-term effects on their health.
People also search for: puppy heart rate training · Labrador retriever exercise program · puppy endurance training effects
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Dogs are used for various physically demanding sports and work activities, with training starting at a very young age. However, little is known about the effects of training on young puppies. This study investigated effects of a structured endurance program on changes in heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (BL) concentrations measured after a fitness field test in Labrador retriever puppies aged under six months. METHODS: Fifteen puppies were included: eight in the training group (TRA) and seven in the control group (C). Training group puppies followed an eight-week training program, while C puppies lived their normal lives without any intervention. The amount and intensity of locomotion were monitored continuously. Changes in HR and BL were measured after field tests consisting of a 1,000 m run and a 200 m sprint, followed by a recovery time until HR returned to baseline. Measurements were taken at baseline, mid-timepoint (four weeks of training), end of training (eight weeks of training), and after a detraining period (four weeks after end of training). RESULTS: No adverse short-term effects were observed in relation to the training program. Most physiological outcomes were non-significant. After the detraining period, in the TRA-group, HRs were 32 beats per minute lower (= 0.040) after the 200 m sprint than at baseline. The only significant change (= 0.028) was observed in the BL concentration after the 200 m sprint; after the detraining period, it was lower than after the end-timepoint in the TRA-group. DISCUSSION: A safe, periodized training program of varying volume, intensity, and frequency of physical loading was introduced. Limited significant physiological responses were, however, reported. Large variations in HR and BL levels were noted between the puppies throughout the study period. Study's imitations include small sample size, lack of randomization in group allocation, and lack of assessment of long-term impact to the musculoskeletal system.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41988347/