Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC, informally called afterburn) is a measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity. In historical contexts the term "oxygen debt" was popularized to explain or perhaps attempt to quantify anaerobic energy expenditure, particularly as regards lactic acid/lactate metabolism; in fact, the term "oxygen debt" is still widely used to this day. However, direct and indirect calorimeter experiments have definitively disproven any association of lactate metabolism as causal to an elevated oxygen uptake. In recovery, oxygen (EPOC) is used in the processes that restore the body to a resting state and
Equine exertional rhabdomyolysis release of cell contents. Muscle spasms, caused by the lack of blood to the muscle tissue, are also painful. A horse developing ER will usually begin showing signs right after the beginning of exercise, although for mild cases, signs may not be seen until after the horse is cooled out. Signs include reluctance to move, stiffness or shortened gait when the animal is forced to move, and muscle spasms or cramps, with hard, painful muscles (especially the hindquarters) when palpated. If an observer is unfamiliar with ER, initial symptoms may appear to be tiredness or perhaps lameness but the condition