Beta-Agonist Drugs: Effect on Respiratory Function in Horses
Horses in intense exercise, such as racing or three-day eventing, need full lung capacity to perform to the top of their abilities. Hoping to give their horse every advantage, some racehorse trainers medicate with beta-agonist drugs, like clenbuterol (a drug commonly used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), in an attempt to improve airway function. But is such medication actually effective in horses? At the 2011 America College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, held June 15-18 in Denver, Colo., Rose Nolen-Walston, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, assistant professor in the department of clinical sciences at the University of Pennsylvania's College of Veterinary Medicine, discussed the effects of beta-agonist drugs on the equine lung.
Nolen-Walston explained that what these medications can do is often misunderstood and, therefore, the drugs are often misused. Beta-agonist drugs are designed to inhibit bronchospasm (constriction) of the airways in horses affected by airway inflammation, she noted, and healthy horses typically don't achieve dilation of the small airways in response to treatment with clenbuterol.
Clenbuterol is the only beta-agonist drug currently approved for use in horses and is primarily used to treat breathing problems. Clenbuterol also has anaboliclike effects that shift a horse's body mass from fat to muscle; however, Nolen-Walston noted that its use has not been scientifically associated with any increase in performance. In fact, she added, its ergonomic effects could negatively affect performance and include:
Decreased aerobic capacity; Decreased time to fatigue; Decreased cardiac function; and Decreased maximal oxygen intake."One potential issue with using beta-agonist medications is the development of tachyphylaxis, which is the tolerance or desensitization to effects of a drug after chronic administration," she cautioned, referencing one study that revealed that by Day 21 of clenbuterol administration, some horses' airways had become hyper-reactive not just due to loss of effect but also from worsening of pulmonary function. The same study revealed that a peak effect is generally seen by Day 14, so Nolen-Walston recommended limiting its use to two weeks.
Learn more about the importance of nutrition, vaccinations, and deworming programs designed to keep your horse healthy in Understanding Equine Preventive Medicine .
Another commonly used beta-agonist in horses is albuterol, which has an onset time of about five minutes, but only provides positive effects for about 30-60 minutes, she said. It is administered via a nebulizer or with a metered dose inhaler sprayed into a specialized equine breathing mask. Nolen-Walston said that pretreatment with vitamin C can increase sensitivity to albuterol three- to tenfold and decreases tachyphylaxis. However, she pointed out that oral-administered albuterol achieves minimal bioavailability (the rate at which a drug is absorbed or becomes available at the site of physiologic activity after administration).
Improving Lung Capacity - News
Horses in intense exercise, such as racing or three-day eventing, need full lung capacity to perform to the top of their abilities. Hoping to give their horse every advantage, some racehorse trainers medicate with beta-agonist drugs, like clenbuterol
According to Kanne, most people only use a third of their lung capacity. By utilizing Pranayama techniques, individuals can increase their lung capacity and draw breath that not only nourishes the lungs and upper respiratory areas but also “permeates”
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Improve Your Lung Capacity « Dr Adams Center Blog
Improve Your Lung Capacity
Did you know that our lung capacity decreases as we age?
After age 20 lung capacity decreases by about .5% – 1% of capacity per year primarily due to a decrease in the elasticity of the lung tissue. The old adage use it or lose it is especially true when it comes to our lungs.
Normal adult lung capacity is 3 to 5 liters (3,000 – 5,000 milliliters), and can be calculated as milliliters of air per kilogram (approx. 2.2 lbs.) of body weight. The equation for women is 50 to 60 milliliters of air for each kilogram of body weight (55 ml x kg), and for men the equation is 70 milliliters per kilogram of body weight (70 ml x kg).
This is all somewhat grim news. The good news is that physical fitness increases lung capacity. This makes adding a minimuim of 30 minutes a day of enjoyable aerobic exercise (running, swimming, rowing, cycling, or even a brisk walk) a critical component to any exercise regimen. Aerobic exercise will not only help to increase your lung capacity, but it will also burn fat, increase your metabolism, help decrease blood pressure, slow bone and muscle loss, and aid in your overall health and wellness.
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Tips on improving your lung capacity -
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This article addresses the types of exercises that help to improve lung capacity and the transport of oxygen throughout the body.
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Breathing Exercises to Improve Lung Capacity
For those who have asthma or any kind of breathing problem, breathing exercises to improve lung capacity ... Rib Stretch: This is a good exercise for improving lung capacity. ...
Exercises that improve lung capacity - by Mary Pagay - Helium
Exercises that improve lung capacity also improve cardiovascular functioning. This is because the heart, lungs, and circulatory systems work toget..., Mary Pagay