How long do horses take to recover after intense exercise?

Do horses take longer to recover after exercise than humans? If there is a difference does this mean we have to reexamine recovery and training days after intense exercise?

If you have ever done a hard exercise session you know yourself that it takes a couple of days to feel strong again and that is the muscles replenishing the glycogen after exercise.  Glycogen is the stored form of glucose and is the crucial fuel for both humans and horses during high-intensity activity horses use for our muscles. This key process of replenishing the stores of glycogen is what governs the recovery timelines. Without sufficient glycogen, performance drops and fatigue sets in. So, how do horses measure up against humans when it comes to recovery time?

To answer that, let’s look at several studies that have examined muscle glycogen resynthesis in horses, and then compare the findings to what we know about human athletes.

What the Science Says About Horses and Glycogen Recovery when compared to humans:

Studies have explored the rate of muscle glycogen synthesis in horses and humans after exercise. Here’s an overview of what they found:

Human Research

• Bergström & Hultman (1966) – First to document glycogen restoration in human muscle post-exercise. Found recovery possible in 24–48 hours depending on carb intake.
• Jentjens et al. (2001) – Showed that ingesting carbs immediately after exercise speeds up glycogen recovery, achieving near full restoration in 24 hours.

Equine Studies

• Larcombe et al. (2004) – Horses required 48–72 hours for full muscle glycogen restoration post exercise, even with feeding strategies.
• Geor et al. (2006) – Glycogen levels in horses remained suppressed even 48 hours after work. Recovery was slow despite rest and good feeding.

Conclusion: Horses Have a Slower Recovery Timeline

Taken together, the horse studies point to a consistent conclusion: horses take significantly longer to replenish muscle glycogen stores after strenuous exercise compared to humans. While human athletes can often restore glycogen within 24 hours with proper nutrition, horses may require 48 to 72 hours or more, especially after repeated or exhaustive effort.

Several factors contribute to this slower recovery in horses:

• Differences in muscle fibre composition and enzyme activity
• Lower rates of post-exercise carbohydrate intake (horses graze, while humans can consume concentrated carbs)
• Less efficient carbohydrate metabolism and absorption in the equine gut
• Evolutionary adaptations—horses are built for endurance, not frequent high-intensity efforts

So, Who Recovers Faster—Humans or Horses?

In terms of muscle glycogen recovery, humans clearly have the advantage. With controlled diets, carb loading strategies, and the ability to rest and rehydrate aggressively, human athletes can optimize their post-exercise recovery to a level that horses, due to physiological constraints, cannot match.

This doesn’t mean horses are less capable athletes—they’re just different. Their bodies are designed for long-distance, sustained efforts with ample grazing breaks, not for daily high-intensity sprinting with rapid turnaround.

For equine athletes (like racehorses or eventers), understanding this slower recovery curve is critical. Training schedules, competition planning, and nutrition need to accommodate the extended recovery period to avoid fatigue, underperformance, and injury.

Physiological and lifestyle differences impact how each species restores glycogen and recovers from exertion.

Feature	Humans	Horses
Carb intake post-exercise	Easily controlled	Grazing, harder to control
Glycogen recovery time	24–48 hours	48–72+ hours
Muscle fibre composition	Mixed slow/fast-twitch	High proportion of slow twitch
Adapted for	Frequent short-high intensity	Sustained aerobic endurance

Bottom Line:
Yes, horses take longer to recover from strenuous exercise than humans—often by a factor of two or more when it comes to replenishing muscle glycogen. This is a key consideration for anyone managing the training and care of athletic horses.

Takeaway for Horse Owners and Trainers

• Allow at least 48–72 hours of recovery after intense workouts.
• Maximize high-quality forage and energy-dense meals during this window.
• Watch for signs of incomplete recovery: decreased performance, soreness, irritability.