Science‐in‐brief: Wearable sweat lactate sensors in equine athletes: Science fiction or reality?

Abstract

Wearable sensors are increasingly used in equestrian sports, for example to assess heart rate and rhythm during exercise, perform continuous temperature monitoring or evaluate stride characteristics. By measuring variables such as heart rate, respiratory rate and speed, wearables can aid in evaluating the training load. Establishing an optimal training schedule at an individual level is crucial for the prevention of injuries and metabolic problems. Individual training schedules for equine athletes are increasingly based on lactate measurements during an exercise test. Lactate accumulation serves as an indicator of metabolic stress and anaerobic activity, thereby evaluating muscle fatigue. However, lactate measurements in horses are traditionally performed through repeated intravenous blood sampling, an invasive and sometimes stressful method. Lactate measurement in sweat has been proposed as an alternative non-invasive technique in human athletes. This offers the additional advantage of continuous monitoring, which is important for more accurate evaluation of performance and physiological responses during training and competition. This editorial discusses the potential application and technical challenges associated with sweat lactate measurement in horses.