Ventilatory CO2 response in endurance-trained rats.

A CO2 rebreathing technique was used to assess possible changes in the ventilatory response to CO2 in rats following a 14-week swim training program. Over the final 9 weeks, the rats swam 1 hr per day with a weight of 2.5% of the body weight attached to the tail. Ventilation was measured by a barometric method in awake, restrained rats in a total body plethysmography at CO2 concentrations of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8%, with an initial O2 concentration of approximately 100%. Ventilation increased in the trained rats with increasing CO2 from 775ml . min-1 . kg-1 at 0% CO2 to 1,387 ml . min-1 . kg-1 at 8% CO2. This increase was a consequence of a 34% increase in tidal volume and a 32% increase in breathing frequency. In comparison with a group of sedentary control rats, there was a significantly higher ventilation and tidal volume at 0% CO2; however, this difference disappeared with increasing levels of CO2. A significantly lower resting heart rate was observed in the exercised (296 +/- 44 beats . min-1, mean +/- SD) compared to the sedentary control rats 380 +/- 42). It was concluded that, while the normal training response of resting bradycardia was observed following this duration and intensity of training, endurance swimming had no significant effect on the ventilatory response to CO2 in the rat.