Effect of fasting on the V ˙ O2-fh relationship in king penguins

• Main Author: Aptenodytes Patagonicus
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2003
• Subjects: King Penguins
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.554.7882; http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~fahlman/pub-link/penguins/Treadmill fasting-AJP-2004/Fahlman-AmJP-287-R879-877-2004.pdf

dytes patagonicus) may fast for up to 30 days during their breeding period. As such extended fasting may affect the relationship between the rate of O2 consumption (V ˙ O2) and heart rate (fH), five male king penguins were exercised at various speeds on repeated occasions during a fasting period of 24–31 days. In addition, V ˙ O2 and fH were measured in the same animals during rest in cold air and water (4°C). V ˙ O2 and fH at rest and V ˙ O2 during exercise decreased with fasting. There was a significant relation between V ˙ O2 and fH (r2 0.56) that was improved by including speed, body mass (Mb), number of days fasting (t), and a cross term between fH and t (r2 0.92). It was concluded that there was a significant change in the V ˙ O2-fH relation-ship with fasting during exercise. As t is measurable in the field and was shown to be significant and, therefore, a practical covariate, a regression equation for use when birds are ashore was obtained by removing speed and Mb. When this equation was used, predicted V ˙ O2