Metabolomic study of dried blood spots in horses participating in endurance competitions and suffering from exertional rhabdomyolysis

This study investigated metabolic changes in endurance horses competing over distances of 20–80 km and in horses developing exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER). Using targeted metabolomic analysis of dried blood spots (DBS), amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles were evaluated in 43 successful finishers and six horses with ER. The results revealed distance-related metabolic adaptations to endurance exercise and significant differences in 32 of 49 metabolites between finishers and horses with ER. These findings highlight distinct metabolic alterations associated with exercise-induced muscle injury and demonstrate the potential of DBS-based metabolomics for monitoring metabolic responses in endurance horses.