Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
High-intensity exercise raises heart and inflammation markers in sled
By Wakshlag, J J et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2010·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The influence of high-intensity moderate duration exercise on cardiac troponin I and C-reactive protein in sled dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 22 Alaskan sled dogs was monitored during a two-day racing event to see how high-intensity exercise affected their heart and inflammation markers. After racing, the dogs showed a slight increase in cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a marker for heart damage, and C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation, but these levels remained within the normal range for healthy dogs. This suggests that short bursts of intense exercise do not harm the heart or cause significant inflammation in these dogs. Overall, the dogs remained healthy and showed no concerning signs after the races.
People also search for: sled dog heart health · exercise effects on dog inflammation · Alaskan sled dog racing recovery
Abstract
BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein (CRP) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) are biomarkers of systemic inflammation and cardiac damage, respectively. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of short-duration high-intensity exercise on plasma cTnI and serum CRP concentrations in sprint racing sled dogs. ANIMALS: Twenty-two Alaskan sled dogs of 2 different teams participating in a 2-day racing event. METHODS: In this prospective field study, cephalic venipuncture was performed on all dogs before racing and immediately after racing on 2 consecutive days. Plasma cTnI and serum CRP concentrations were evaluated at each time point. RESULTS: There was a mild, significant rise (P<.01) in median cTnI concentrations from resting (0.02 ng/mL; 0.0-0.12 ng/mL) on both days after racing (day 1=0.06, 0.02-0.2 ng/mL; day 2=0.07, 0.02-0.21 ng/mL). Serum CRP concentrations showed a mild significant increase (P<.01) on day 2 after racing mean (9.2±4.6 μg/mL) as compared with resting (6.5+4.3 μg/mL) and day 1 after racing (5.0+2.9 μg/mL). Neither cTnI or CRP concentrations exceeded the upper reference range for healthy dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Strenuous exercise of short duration did not result in cTnI concentrations above the reference range for healthy dogs. Although increased after 2 days of short-duration strenuous exercise, CRP did not reach concentrations suggestive of inflammation, as reported previously in the endurance sled dogs. Therefore, we surmise that moderate exercise does not present a confounding variable in the interpretation of cTnI and CRP concentrations in normal dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20840303/