Lipid status in racehorses following physical activity of various intensity and duration

The aim of this research was to determine the effects of physical activity on the lipid status in racehorses in a gallop race and a fortykilometre endurance ride. Two groups of healthy 3-5-year-old full-blooded racehorses were assessed. The first one ran a 2 400-m gallop race, which is considered a short-lasting, intense physical activity; lipid status was assessed prior to, and 48 and 72 h after the race. The second group ran a fortykilometre endurance ride, which is a long-lasting moderate physical activity; the lipid status was assessed immediately before, soon after and 48, 72, 96, 120 and 144 h after finishing the race. In intense physical activity the parameters of lipid status (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, free cholesterol and triglycerides) remained stable at all times assessed in comparison with basal concentrations (p>0.05). Following the long-lasting moderate physical activity a slight, although statistically insignificant (p>0.05), increase in the concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, free cholesterol and LDL cholesterol was noticed immediately after the endurance ride in comparison to the values before the ride. By contrast, the concentration of LDL cholesterol increased immediately after the gallop race, which was followed by its significant decrease (p