PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Bacterial gut diversity improves the athletic performance of racehorses

2024-08-07
(Press-News.org) The composition of gut bacteria of Thoroughbred racehorses at one-month-old can predict their future athletic performance, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. Foals with lower bacterial diversity at 28 days old also had a significantly increased risk of respiratory disease later in life. 

Researchers from Surrey's School of Veterinary Medicine and School of Bioscience, led by Professor Chris Proudman, investigated the composition of gut bacteria in Thoroughbred foals bred for flat racing and its impact on their long-term health and athletic performance.  

To investigate this, 438 faecal samples from 52 foals were analysed and respiratory, gastrointestinal, orthopaedic and soft-tissue health issues were tracked from birth to age three. In addition, the team analysed information regarding finishing position, official rating, and total prize money earnings as measures of athletic performance.  

Professor Chris Proudman, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Science at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, said:  

"Minimising the risk of disease and injury is important for the welfare of racehorses, and maximising their athletic potential is important for their owners. We have found that gut health, in particular the health of gut bacterial communities very early in life, exerts a profound and enduring impact on racehorse health and performance." 

Researchers found that the athletic performance of the foals was positively associated with higher faecal bacterial diversity at one month old. They identified that a higher abundance of the bacteria Anaeroplasmataceae was associated with a higher official rating (an evaluation of a horse based on its past performances), and increased levels of Bacillaceae at 28 days old were linked to higher race placings.  

The team also investigated the long-term impact of foals receiving antibiotics during the first month of life. It was found that these foals had significantly lower faecal bacterial diversity at 28 days old compared to other foals who did not receive such treatments. Further analysis revealed that these foals won significantly lower prize money earnings (an indicator of athletic performance) in their subsequent racing careers. In addition, foals who received antibiotics during their first 28 days of life had a significantly increased rate of developing a respiratory disease compared to their counterparts. 

Professor Roberto La Ragione, co-investigator from the School of Bioscience at the University of Surrey, said: 

"Antibiotics are vital in treating infections and protecting the long-term health of foals; they do, however, need to be used responsibly. Our study demonstrates that treatment with antibiotics can disrupt the healthy gut microbiome with long-term impacts on health and performance. The next part of our study will examine how we can minimise disruption of gut bacteria when antibiotics have to be used to treat infections." 

Interestingly, researchers also identified that low gut bacterial diversity in early life is associated with an increased risk of soft-tissue and orthopaedic issues developing later in life. Researchers believe that the health impacts of low gut bacterial diversity in early life are likely to be related to immunological priming. The reasons underlying the observed negative impacts on racehorse performance are currently not understood. 

Dr Kirsten Rausing, Chairman of the International Thoroughbred Breeders Federation and, through her ALBORADA Trust, study sponsor, commented  

"This ground-breaking study has identified the importance of gut health in our very young foals. As breeders, if we can get this right, we will produce foals that will be healthier, and that will grow into more successful racehorses." 

Work is currently underway to develop novel probiotics that will enhance the gut health of foals in early life and to investigate how antibiotics can be used whilst preserving gut health. 

This study is published in the journal Scientific Reports (link will go live when paper is published).

Professor Chris Proudman will be speaking further on this research at the Thoroughbred Breeders Association at Newbury on 13 August. If you would like to attend the event, please contact Victoria.Murrell@thetba.co.uk

More information on horse microbiome and research currently underway at the University, please visit here.

Notes to editors 

Due to the nature of the study-specific horses, their official race positions or training yards cannot be identified  Foals came from 5 stud farms and were in training at 27 different training yards across the country Professor Chris Proudman is available for interview on request  Pictures of foals are available on request. (Please note these foals were not a part of the study)   For further information, please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk  Paper information

Paper title: 'Early-life gut bacterial community structure predicts disease risk and athletic performance in horses bred for racing.'

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64657-6

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Fishing is causing frightened fish to flee when they should flirt

Fishing is causing frightened fish to flee when they should flirt
2024-08-07
Populations of squaretail grouper face an uncertain future as new research shows fishing that targets their spawning sites is causing males to be repeatedly scared away from their territories during their short mating meet-ups. By fleeing for safety, individuals are losing valuable time to catch the eye and court female fish. A study, led by scientists at Lancaster University and published today in Biology Letters, shows that the impacts of fishing that targets squaretail grouper spawning sites goes beyond those fish that are caught, causing widespread behavioural change in those left behind. These changes impact ability to reproduce. With disrupted mating, fewer offspring ...

Your best friend from high school? Here’s why their genes mattered

2024-08-07
Mom always said, “Choose your friends wisely.” Now a study led by a Rutgers Health professor shows she was onto something: Their traits can rub off on you – especially ones that are in their genes. The genetic makeup of adolescent peers may have long-term consequences for individual risk of drug and alcohol use disorders, depression and anxiety, the groundbreaking study has found. “Peers’ genetic predispositions for psychiatric and substance use disorders are associated with an individual's own risk of developing ...

How does an effective cancer therapy damage the heart?

2024-08-07
Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) is a protein receptor on T immune cells that prevents the cells from killing other cells, such as cancer cells. Blocking CTLA-4 with a specific antibody is an effective treatment for some cancers, but it can damage the heart. New research published in The FASEB Journal reveals the mechanisms involved in this side effect—a finding that could be used to help prevent it. Experiments conducted in mice showed that blocking CTLA-4 activates certain T cells called Th17 cells, which increase inflammation. Inhibiting this activation reversed ...

How well will different US forests remove atmospheric carbon in the future?

2024-08-07
Forests absorb carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making forest carbon stocks an important resource against climate change. In research published in Ecology and Evolution, investigators examined existing tree regeneration patterns to develop an indicator of potential changes to future carbon stocks across forests in the northeastern and midwestern United States. The scientists’ comparison of carbon stock predictions from tree and seedling composition suggested that 29% of plots were poised ...

Medical issues experienced by women and children after returning from Hamas captivity

2024-08-07
Among the 250 individuals who were kidnapped during the Hamas terror attack on Israeli towns in October 2023, 19 children and 7 women were released and admitted to Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel after approximately 50 days in captivity, during a cease-fire deal. A new study published in Acta Paediatrica reports on the physical and psychological state of these returnees upon their return. The most common clinical findings included significant weight loss, psychological trauma, complications of poor hygiene (such as head lice), and complications of recent shrapnel injuries. Tests revealed that returnees also often had ...

Do dieticians have weight biases towards themselves and others?

2024-08-07
In a survey-based study, UK dietitians exhibited significant weight stigma, both towards themselves and towards others. The study in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics involved an online survey completed in 2022 by 402 registered dietitians aged 20–70 years old. Most respondents reported personally experiencing weight stigma prior to (51%) and after becoming (59.7%) registered dieticians, and nearly a quarter (21.1%) felt that their weight influenced their own ability to perform as a dietitian. Weight stigma was experienced across the weight spectrum. Participants reported explicit (or conscious) weight bias attitudes, moderate beliefs that obesity is ...

Can nanomaterials enhance plant tolerance to high soil salt levels?

2024-08-07
Soil salt concentrations above the optimal threshold for plant growth can threaten global food security by compromising agricultural productivity and crop quality. An analysis published in Physiologia Plantarum examined the potential of nanomaterials—which have emerged over the past decade as a promising tool to mitigate such “salinity stress”—to address this challenge. Nanomaterials, which are tiny natural or synthetic materials, can modulate a plant’s response to salinity stress ...

Study on planet-warming contrails “a spanner in the works” for aviation industry

2024-08-07
Modern commercial aircraft flying at high altitudes create longer-lived planet-warming contrails than older aircraft, a new study has found. The result means that although modern planes emit less carbon than older aircraft, they may be contributing more to climate change through contrails. Led by scientists at Imperial College London, the study highlights the immense challenges the aviation industry faces to reduce its impact on the climate. The new study also found that private jets produce more contrails than previously thought, ...

Sea lion camera crews help researchers explore previously unmapped ocean habitats

Sea lion camera crews help researchers explore previously unmapped ocean habitats
2024-08-07
The world’s seabeds are little explored, and the knowledge we have is patchy. Using remotely operated underwater vehicles to learn about seabeds is expensive, requires certain weather conditions, and is difficult in deep, remote, and offshore habitats. To circumvent these challenges, researchers in Australia have now enlisted endangered Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) to carry cameras. The resulting videos allowed the researchers to identify previously unmapped benthic habitats used by the sea lions on the continental shelf. They published their results in Frontiers in Marine Science. “Using ...

Superbugs spread to family members of recently hospitalized patients

2024-08-07
ARLINGTON, Va. (August 7, 2024) — Family members of patients recently discharged from the hospital may have a higher risk of getting an antibiotic-resistant infection, often called a superbug, even if the patient was not diagnosed with the same infection, suggesting hospitals play a role in the community spread of resistant bacteria, according to study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. When recently hospitalized patients were diagnosed with the superbug — Methicillin-resistant ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Reality check: making indoor smartphone-based augmented reality work

Overthinking what you said? It’s your ‘lizard brain’ talking to newer, advanced parts of your brain

Black men — including transit workers — are targets for aggression on public transportation, study shows

Troubling spike in severe pregnancy-related complications for all ages in Illinois

Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas

Need a landing pad for helicopter parenting? Frame tasks as learning

New MUSC Hollings Cancer Center research shows how Golgi stress affects T-cells' tumor-fighting ability

#16to365: New resources for year-round activism to end gender-based violence and strengthen bodily autonomy for all

Earliest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Maya lowlands

São Paulo to host School on Disordered Systems

New insights into sleep uncover key mechanisms related to cognitive function

USC announces strategic collaboration with Autobahn Labs to accelerate drug discovery

Detroit health professionals urge the community to act and address the dangers of antimicrobial resistance

3D-printing advance mitigates three defects simultaneously for failure-free metal parts 

Ancient hot water on Mars points to habitable past: Curtin study

In Patagonia, more snow could protect glaciers from melt — but only if we curb greenhouse gas emissions soon

Simplicity is key to understanding and achieving goals

Caste differentiation in ants

Nutrition that aligns with guidelines during pregnancy may be associated with better infant growth outcomes, NIH study finds

New technology points to unexpected uses for snoRNA

Racial and ethnic variation in survival in early-onset colorectal cancer

Disparities by race and urbanicity in online health care facility reviews

Exploring factors affecting workers' acquisition of exercise habits using machine learning approaches

Nano-patterned copper oxide sensor for ultra-low hydrogen detection

Maintaining bridge safer; Digital sensing-based monitoring system

A novel approach for the composition design of high-entropy fluorite oxides with low thermal conductivity

A groundbreaking new approach to treating chronic abdominal pain

ECOG-ACRIN appoints seven researchers to scientific committee leadership positions

New model of neuronal circuit provides insight on eye movement

Cooking up a breakthrough: Penn engineers refine lipid nanoparticles for better mRNA therapies

[Press-News.org] Bacterial gut diversity improves the athletic performance of racehorses