A simply constructed treadmill for rodent exercise studies.
A treadmill suitable for studying the exercise physiology of small rodents was constructed. The treadmill itself is a belt sander mounted in an inverted position. Grade elevation is provided by securing the treadmill to a hinged platform. Speed variation is provided by a variable output power supply. Enclosure of the treadmill allows measurement of oxygen consumption by the flow-through technique. We measured oxygen consumption in rats during incremental exercise and found a mean maximum value of 94 +/- 13 ml . kg-1 . min-1. The treadmill is simple and inexpensive to construct and is reliable in performance.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D005082:Physical Exertion; D010827:Physiology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains