Sedeño Julio, Ruiz Salvador, Martín Germán, Gardón Juan Carlos
Doctoral School, Catholic University of Valencia-San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Campus Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Aug 6;15(15):2303. doi: 10.3390/ani15152303.
The Lidia cattle breed is featured in several traditional popular bullfighting festivals throughout Spain, including the "Toro de Cuerda" event, in which the animals are subjected to intense physical exercise. However, the physiological impact and welfare implications of these activities remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the stress response and muscle damage in Lidia breed bulls during roping bull celebrations through comprehensive blood analysis. Blood samples were collected from 53 adult male Lidia bulls before and after a standardized 45 min continuous running exercise during traditional roping bull events in four Spanish autonomous regions. Hematological parameters, muscle enzymes (creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, lactate), and stress hormones (cortisol and ACTH) were analyzed. Significant increases ( < 0.05) were observed in leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, erythrocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and post-exercise platelets. Muscle enzymes showed marked elevations, with creatine kinase increasing up to 10-fold above baseline values. Stress hormones, cortisol and ACTH, also demonstrated significant increases. Despite the magnitude of these changes, all parameters remained within established reference ranges for the bovine species. This study provides the first physiological assessment of Lidia cattle during popular bullfighting celebrations, establishing baseline data for evidence-based welfare evaluation and management protocols.
利迪亚牛品种在西班牙各地的几个传统热门斗牛节中都有亮相，包括“绳索斗牛”活动，在该活动中，这些动物要进行高强度的体育锻炼。然而，这些活动对生理的影响和对福利的影响仍未得到充分描述。本研究旨在通过全面的血液分析，评估利迪亚品种公牛在绳索斗牛庆祝活动期间的应激反应和肌肉损伤。在西班牙四个自治区的传统绳索斗牛活动中，对53头成年雄性利迪亚公牛在45分钟持续跑步的标准化运动前后采集血样。分析血液学参数、肌肉酶（肌酸激酶、乳酸脱氢酶、乳酸）和应激激素（皮质醇和促肾上腺皮质激素）。观察到白细胞、淋巴细胞、单核细胞、嗜酸性粒细胞、中性粒细胞、红细胞、血细胞比容、血红蛋白和运动后血小板显著增加（<0.05）。肌肉酶显示出明显升高，肌酸激酶比基线值增加高达10倍。应激激素皮质醇和促肾上腺皮质激素也显著增加。尽管这些变化幅度较大，但所有参数仍在牛种既定的参考范围内。本研究首次对热门斗牛庆祝活动期间的利迪亚牛进行了生理评估，为基于证据的福利评估和管理方案建立了基线数据。
