According to an article in TheHorse.com, Japanese researchers worked Thoroughbreds in moderately low-oxygen conditions, such as those found in slightly higher altitudes, to challenge their cardiovascular system to work with less oxygen to determine if it could lead to more endurance and better race times.
The researchers tested seven untrained mares and geldings averaging 8 years old and worked them on a treadmill while wearing oxygen masks three days a week for four weeks in three oxygen concentration conditions: normal, mildly hypoxic (lower-oxygen), and moderately hypoxic. The team noted a significant increase in speed in the horses which had trained under moderate hypoxic conditions.
It is believed that if trainers use this type of lower-oxygen training program properly, horses can increase training speed, duration, and frequency, which would prove beneficial not only for performance but also for health.
Read full article here.
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