Running in a running wheel substitutes for stereotypies in mink (Mustela vison) but does it improve their welfare?
This experiment investigated whether access to a running wheel affects the development of stereotypies during restricted feeding and whether selection for high or low levels of stereotypy affects the use of the running wheel. Sixty-two female mink kept in standard cages and selected for high or low levels of stereotypy were used. Thirty of these […]
Forced and voluntary exercise counteract insulin resistance in rats: the role of coping style
There are large individual differences in the success rates of exercise intervention programs aimed at the prevention and treatment of obesity-related disorders. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that differences in coping style may impact the success rates of these intervention programs. We tested insulin responses before and after voluntary wheel running in […]
The Use of a Running Wheel to Measure Activity in Rodents: Relationship to Energy Balance, General Activity, and Reward
Running wheels are commonly employed to measure rodent physical activity in a variety of contexts, including studies of energy balance and obesity. There is no consensus on the nature of wheel-running activity or its underlying causes, however. Here, we will begin by systematically reviewing how running wheel availability affects physical activity and other aspects of […]