Oxygen uptake of rats at different work intensities.

An adaptation of a standard activity wheel has been used to determine oxygen uptake of rats prior to and during exercise at 7 different speeds (16-67 m/min). Pre-exercise oxygen uptake was 2.42 +/- 0.10 (S.E.) ml (100 g x min)-1. Oxygen uptake increased linearly with work intensity (running speed). At 16m/min oxygen uptake was 6.44 +/- 0.16 ml (100 g x min)-1 and it increased to a maximal value of 9.51 +/- 0.14 ml (100 g x min)-1 at a running speed of 53.6 m/min. Increasing running speed to 67 m/min did not produce any further increase in oxygen uptake. Some comparisons of exercise intensity between rats of various studies and rats and man can be made from these data.