A three-criteria performance score for rats exercising on a running treadmill
Gabriel Rios-Kristjansson, Juan
University of Barcelona
Rizo-Roca, David
University of Barcelona
Mist Kristjansdottir, Karen
University of Barcelona
Ramon Torrella, Joan
University of Barcelona
Pages, Teresa
University of Barcelona
Viscor, Gines
University of Barcelona
Journal
Plos One
ISSN
1932-6203
Open Access
gold
Volume
14
In this study, we propose a novel three-criteria performance score to semiquantitatively classify the running style, the degree of involvement and compliance and the validity of electric shock count for rats exercising on a treadmill. Each score criterion has several style-marks that are based on the observational registry of male Sprague-Dawley rats running for 4-7 weeks. Each mark was given a score value that was averaged throughout a session-registry and resulting in a session score for each criterion, ranging from "0" score for a hypothetical "worst runner", to score "1" for a hypothetical "perfect runner" rat. We found significant differences throughout a training program, thus providing evidence of sufficient sensitivity of this score to reflect the individual evolution of performance improvement in exercise capacity due to training. We hypothesize that this score could be correlated with other physiological or metabolic parameters, thus refining research results and further helping researchers to reduce the number of experimental subjects.