Abstract
The effects of antioxidant supplements on exercise-induced oxidative stress have not been investigated in untrained leisure horses. We investigated the effects of 14-day supplementation with vitamin E (1.8 IU/kg/day), coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10); ubiquinone; 800 mg/day), and a combination of both (the same doses as in mono-supplementation) on the blood levels of CoQ(10), vitamin E, and oxidative stress parameters in untrained leisure horses subjected to acute moderate exercise. Correlations between lipid peroxidation and muscle enzyme leakage were also determined. Forty client-owned horses were included in the study, with 10 horses in each of the antioxidant and placebo (paraffin oil) groups. Blood parameters were measured before supplementation, before and immediately after exercise, and after 24 h of rest. The differences in individual parameters between blood collection times and groups were analysed with linear mixed models (p ˂ 0.05). None of the supplemented antioxidants affected vitamin E and CoQ(10) concentrations, oxidative stress parameters, or serum muscle enzymes. Lipid peroxidation occurred in horses supplemented with placebo and CoQ(10) but not in horses supplemented with vitamin E or the combination of both antioxidants. These results suggest that vitamin E alone or in combination with CoQ(10) prevented lipid peroxidation in untrained leisure horses subjected to acute moderate exercise.