Why are horses nature's “great athletes”? Science has found the answer

Writing Science, 27 Mar (EFEverde).- They are the great ‘athletes of nature’: horses run at incredible speeds showing great physical resistance, and, now, science has just revealed that this feat is due to a genetic mutation. It is the mutation of the KEAP1 gene that multiplies energy production in horses and protects them against cellular oxidative stress, as described by a scientific article published this Thursday in Science magazine, the res…

The ability of horses to absorb, transport, and utilize oxygen, with a peak oxygen consumption more than twice that of elite human athletes, has long fascinated scientists.