Influence of ozone therapy on hematological, biochemical and oxidative metabolism values of vaquejada athletes horses
Horse; Oxidative stress; Ozone; Performance; American Quarter Horse
Vaquejada is a secular sport traditionally practiced in the northeast region of Brazil and that represents a strong impact on the culture and economy of this region. An important characteristic of this sport is the performance in high intensity and short duration, with a greater demand of physical effort for the felling of the ox. Thus, the physical demands of these animals have been increasing, as well as the physiological challenges in maintaining homeostasis and high performance performance. In this context, with the objective of providing greater well-being and reducing the risk of injuries and reduced performance as a result of physical activity, evaluations of hematological, biochemical and oxidative metabolic parameters arise. The evaluation of hematological and biochemical parameters provide information about the athletic state of the animal and help guide the training. In this same sense, the reduction of oxidative stress is essential for horses to maintain a high performance of athletic activity. Given the above, ozone therapy has been used as an adjuvant in the recovery of injuries caused by sport as well as in stimulating antioxidant capacity. Through its properties, ozone therapy promotes small oxidative reactions that act as second messengers, signaling to the body the presence of a transient oxidative stress, stimulating the production of endogenous antioxidant compounds. These processes have been studied as an alternative way of contributing to the performance gain in athlete horses, but there are still no studies using vaquejada horses with this objective.