Frequency Conclusions VI

What happens in the cannon bone during equine speed work has been looked at. Extensive guess work has been done that identifies certain specific physiologic processes. The latest few posts make conclusions as to minimal speed work frequency to reinforce each process. Here is a summary:

contraction/compaction (increase density) of the mineral lattice: 8 DAYS

increase in bone glue proteins that hold everything together: 8 DAYS

adherence between some fibrils creating a stronger structure: 5 DAYS

realignment of fibrils/osteons and rearrangement of materials in optimum directions: 5 DAYS

speed up of calcification/ossification/cell repair due to heat and dilation of circulatory structures: 6 DAYS

What, if anything can be made of this?

By looking at all this closely--the extraordinarily complex physiology of bone at the nano level-- it's fairly easy to understand why almost zero research in horses has been done on the actual question of "fracture resistance", if that term has even been used other than on this blog. Even with regard to human bone the research, mostly dealing with osteoporosis, from 2005 on in they seem only to be scratching the surface of understanding at the nano level.

My own thoughts here have built guess work on top of guess work to the point that one may accuse these final conclusions as being only "wild guesses" except for one salient fact that will appear in the next post on this. This one fact that can be identified does indicate to me that the guesswork here has been educated and is probably fairly close to the mark.

Next post will make a final conclusion as to what we must do in terms of minimal frequency of speed work, and identify that fact which possibly makes the conclusion accurate.

Training

Sun: 12/5: light riderless workout. The video identifies why we went light this day. 3.5 miles continuous with about 4f at about 80% speed.

Mon. 12/6 Off