Spontaneous running in wheels. A microprocessor assisted method for measuring physiological parameters during exercise in rodents.

When examining physiological parameters during exercise in rodents most techniques use forced exercise on treadmills or forced swimming which undoubtedly will employ stress to the animals. This paper describes a convenient method to measure physiological parameters during spontaneous exercise in rodents. Hamsters and rats develop a spontaneous running pattern in wheels. The hamsters are reaching maximal activity almost immediately. In contrast, rats increase their running activity with time and need about 4 weeks to reach an average of about 7 km/day. The amount of running is measured by a microprocessor system. With this technique pain threshold, blood pressure and heart rate for example could be measured for extended periods of time, without changing the environment of the animals.