Frequency Conclusions IV

Next bone process to consider in terms of frequency of track work:--

speed up of calcification/ossification/cell repair due to post race heat and dilation of circulatory structures

Does "frequency of speed work" influence the amount and quality of calcification?

The blog noted numerous variables involved in the calcification process and noted that research as to the origin of the the process and factors that may initially stimulate calcification are uncertain in the research. "They just don't know" would be an accurate view of the state of things in terms of the initial or starting causes of this process. This would include "exercise" as an initial stimulus and also concussion on the bone, force etc. "Unknown".

My original thought thus was that any sort of exercise, i.e. exercise of varying intensity, might stimulate extra calcification up to the point of affecting the "function" of the particular bone. This means that, stimulated by exercise, calcification might increase the circumference of a cannon bone up to the point the cannon would become so thick that increasing thickness thereafter would affect its function. When that point is reached increased thickening stops--and, so on.

Thus while increased speed work or any other form of exercise has its calcification limits in terms of increasing the number of bone collagen fibrils per square inch--there are still other ways that calcification might increase bone density.

Three thoughts in this regard--and keep in mind that bone collagen is laid in certain specific and very static patterns. exercise leaves these patterns as is. they are the same before and after exercise with set distances between the fibrils--

1. Exercise induced calcification might increase the number of HA mineral crystals inside each fibril. e.g. instead of 7 HA crystals in the interior of the fibril, perhaps one more would form and there would be 8.

2. Exercise might produce additional HA mineral rings on the exterior skin of the fibril--e.g. instead of two calcium rings around the collagen fibril there may be 3 or 4 produced in the nano spacing around each fibril!

3. The idea of "calcium receptors" in dead spots or weak spots drawing to these spots additional HA crystals as a result of exercise. Though these receptors exist all throughout the mammal body, researchers have yet to identify them in bone tissue. This thus is a "theory" at present.

Since Planck Institute noted that any sort of additional calcium geometrically increases bone strength one might conclude in terms of these processes "the more the better".

This, however simplifies our question too much. We want to know how often need the horse do speed work to get any calcium producing effect at all?

Continue next post.

Training:

Tues. 11/30: Off

Wed: 12/1/10: The first polar bear workout turns out well. Riderless horses went about 5 miles all told. Hard ground was stinging feet in certain parts of the course and so this was less than all out work. Divided into heats of 2,3 and 4 f with full rests between. Lots of 1/2 furlong full speed stuff were we could get big Rod to go. Followed by 15 min. trail ride under tack into the Bogey areas--first tack work in a week goes pretty well. Horse much much more relaxed than last summer.