The study paves the way for early diagnosis and appropriate intervention to reduce the risk of falls or injury during competitions in warm-hot/humid weather.
Dr David Marlin, Helen Reynolds, K. Mukai, K. Neil and G. Akerstrom have published a new research article investigating the use of infra-red thermal imaging to estimate rectal temperature in exercising competition horses.
The objective is to enable early identification of moderate to severe hyperthermia and, subsequently, administering the appropriate intervention, either before, during or after exercise.
The article is titled: Estimating rectal temperature in exercising horses in a competition environment using infrared thermal imaging.
You can read the full research article online on the BRILL Wageningen Academic website here.
The article is published in the Comparative Exercise Physiology scientific journal.
Read what Dr Marlin has to say about it HERE > Hot horses, thermal imaging and the Olympic Games
Research summary
Short-term intense and/or prolonged medium intensity exercise in conditions of moderate-high environmental temperature or temperature and humidity can result in moderate to marked hyperthermia.
This, in turn, may result in decreased exercise capacity, earlier onset of fatigue, and increased risk of falls or injury.
Objective
Early identification of moderate-severe hyperthermia is important to allow appropriate intervention, either before, during or after exercise.
Method
Infra-red thermal imaging (IRT) allows measurement of horse surface temperature non-invasively. However, it is generally considered to be unreliable in outdoor environments.
Collection of pilot data suggested that this modality warranted further investigation.
Data collection
IRT Images were obtained from horses during training and competition at:
- 2019 Ready Steady Tokyo Olympic equestrian test event (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature [WBGT] > 28 °C).
- During and after the cross-country at the 2019 Burghley Horse Trials CCI 5* (WBGT 12-15 °C).
- 2019 Adelaide International Horse Trials CCI 4* (WBGT ∼ 20 °C).
- 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (held in 2021; WBGT > 28 °C).
A total of 87 paired hindquarter IRT images and rectal temperature measurements were obtained.
When all data from all 4 events were pooled, the bias and limits of agreement were −0.3 ± 1.1 °C (n = 87), i.e. IRT underestimated rectal temperature.
When the data from Ready Steady Tokyo 2019 and Tokyo 2020 were combined as both events took place in similar thermal environmental conditions) the bias and limits of agreement were −0.1 ± 0.8 °C (n = 45).
For 29 paired hindquarter thermal images, where a second image was obtained within 15 s, there was no significant difference between the mean of the first and second images (Image 1: 38.9 ± 0.9 °C versus Image 2: 38.7 ± 0.8 °C; >0.05; n = 29).
Conclusion
IRT imaging in environmental conditions of high temperature or high temperature and humidity may be useful in identifying horses with moderate to severe hyperthermia.
Links
Read the full paper online on the BRILL academic journal – Estimating rectal temperature in exercising horses in a competition environment using infrared thermal imaging by Dr David Marlin, H. Reynolds, K. Mukai, K. Neil and G. Akerstrom.
Background
This new research article is published in Comparative Exercise Physiology – the only international peer-reviewed scientific journal specifically dealing with the latest research in exercise physiology across all animal species, including humans.
The major objective of this journal is to use this comparative approach to better understand the physiological, nutritional, and biochemical parameters that determine levels of performance and athletic achievement.
