Gonyea W J, Ericson G C
J Appl Physiol. 1976 Apr;40(4):630-3. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1976.40.4.630.
A procedure for training laboratory cats to perform weight-lifting exercise has been developed. This program consists of operantly conditioning adult cats to move a bar a specific distance with their right forelimb to receive a food reward. Weights attached to the bar via a pully are lifted as the bar is moved. The cat is then exercised at the same load for 5 days before the weight is increased. A linear potentiometer, attached to the hinged bar, produces an analog voltage proportional to the bar movement. This voltage is then monitored by a general purpose computer using a real-time behavioral program. In this way, the numbber of times the cat moves the bar, the time required to move the bar, and the time between bar movements are all recorded. The total physical work accomplished and the average power expended by the cat during the weight-lifting exercise regimen can then be calculated. This procedure has the advantage of inducing significant gross muscle hypertrophy (from 7 to 34%) and muscle fiber hypertrophy in one limb, while the muscles of the opposite limb can be utilized for comparative studies. The striking morphological and histochemical transformations that occur during physiological hypertrophy are now available for experimental investigation using this model.
已经开发出一种训练实验猫进行举重运动的程序。该程序包括对成年猫进行操作性条件训练，使其用右前肢将一根杆移动特定距离以获得食物奖励。当杆移动时，通过滑轮连接到杆上的重物会被抬起。然后在增加重量之前，让猫以相同的负荷锻炼5天。连接到铰接杆上的线性电位器会产生与杆的移动成比例的模拟电压。然后使用实时行为程序由通用计算机监测该电压。通过这种方式，猫移动杆的次数、移动杆所需的时间以及杆移动之间的时间都会被记录下来。然后可以计算出猫在举重锻炼过程中完成的总体力功和消耗的平均功率。该程序的优点是能在一只肢体中诱导显著的总体肌肉肥大（从7%到34%）和肌肉纤维肥大，而对侧肢体的肌肉可用于比较研究。利用该模型，现在可以对生理肥大过程中发生的显著形态学和组织化学变化进行实验研究。
