A small amount of wheel running facilitates eating in nondeprived rats.
A high level of dopaminergic activation such as that produced by a high dose of amphetamine suppresses eating, whereas a low level such as that produced by a low dose can have the opposite effect. Like a high dose of amphetamine, a high level of wheel running also suppresses eating. It was hypothesized that this suppression is due to dopaminergic activation produced by wheel running. If so, a relatively small amount of wheel running should produce a low level of dopaminergic activation and thus have the same effect as a low dose of amphetamine: facilitation of eating. In the present experiment, nondeprived rats were allowed to run in a wheel for 30 min before a feeding test. As predicted, a little wheel running facilitated eating in these rats relative to appropriate controls. The present results may be relevant to an understanding of eating disorders in humans.
Lett
B T
BT
Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada. bow@play.psych.mun.ca
Grant
V L
VL
Gaborko
L L
LL
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley