A single session of whole-body vibration did not affect cardiovascular autonomic recovery after a high intensity exercise in horses

N A A Sales; J R G Carvalho; T O Littiere; G B Costa; A C Y Silva; I D M Rodriguez; C M Castro; L S Anjos; A C M Ottati; J A Alcaide; G V Ramos; A S Ferraudo; I F C Santos; G C Ferraz

doi:10.1016/j.jevs.2025.105631

A single session of whole-body vibration did not affect cardiovascular autonomic recovery after a high intensity exercise in horses

J Equine Vet Sci. 2025 Jun 9:151:105631. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2025.105631. Online ahead of print.

Authors

N A A Sales¹, J R G Carvalho¹, T O Littiere², G B Costa¹, A C Y Silva¹, I D M Rodriguez¹, C M Castro¹, L S Anjos¹, A C M Ottati¹, J A Alcaide¹, G V Ramos³, A S Ferraudo⁴, I F C Santos⁵, G C Ferraz⁶

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Equine Exercise Physiology and Pharmacology (LAFEQ), Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Via de acesso Professor Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Bairro Rural, Jaboticabal, SP, 14.884-900, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Equine Exercise Physiology and Pharmacology (LAFEQ), Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Via de acesso Professor Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Bairro Rural, Jaboticabal, SP, 14.884-900, Brazil; Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas (CPCE), Bom Jesus 64900-000, Piauí, Brazil.
³ Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Via de acesso Professor Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Bairro Rural, Jaboticabal, SP, 14.884-900, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Exact Sciences, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Via de Acesso Professor Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Bairro Rural, Jaboticabal, SP, 14.884-900, Brazil.
⁵ Academic Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Avenida Norte Sul, 7300, Bairro Nova Morada, Rolim de Moura, RO, 76.801-974, Brazil.
⁶ Laboratory of Equine Exercise Physiology and Pharmacology (LAFEQ), Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Via de acesso Professor Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Bairro Rural, Jaboticabal, SP, 14.884-900, Brazil. Electronic address: guilherme.c.ferraz@unesp.br.

PMID: 40499697
DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2025.105631

Abstract

Background: Whole-body vibration (WBV) has the potential to enhance post-exercise recovery in humans. Heart rate variability (HRV), a well-established biomarker of cardiac autonomic regulation (CAR), provides insight into autonomic reactivity during recovery from exercise.

Aim: To investigate CAR in healthy horses during post-exercise recovery following an acute intensive exercise bout (AIEB) with WBV intervention.

Methods: A single AIEB was prescribed at velocities corresponding to lactate threshold (VLT), and the eight horses performed on treadmill with 5 % slope, 2 min at 110 % VLT followed by 3 min at 130 % VLT. Three 10-minute recovery protocols were compared: treadmill walking (TG), switched-off platform sham group (SG), and whole-body vibration (WBVG) at 76, 66, 55, 46, and 32 Hz for 2 minutes each. HR and HRV, time and frequency domains, were monitored throughout recovery. K-means clustering identified HR/HRV-based profiles and the variables were analyzed via two-way repeated measures.

Results: The dendrogram indicated that the time points were distinct, with a spatial separation between the baseline and post-exercise phases, regardless of the recovery strategy employed. These findings suggest that the positive chronotropic effect induced by AIEB effectively distinguished the horses' responses. During recovery, HRV measures did not differ among strategies. The TG maintained a higher HR (P < 0.001) and shorter mean RR interval (P < 0.001) relative to SG and WBVG, reflecting sustained cardiac sympathetic activation.

Conclusion: Within the parameters of this study, WBV recovery did not influence post-exercise cardiac autonomic modulation in horses. WBV did not enhance parasympathetic reactivation or cardio-deceleration post-exercise in horses.

Keywords: Cool down; Equine; Heart rate variability; Parasympathetic; Sympathovagal tone.