Effect of X-Irradiation Upon the Performance of Daily Exhaustive Exercise by the Rat

Abstract

The effect of whole body X-irradiation on intensive exercise performance by male rats was observed for several weeks following irradiation. Swimming to exhaustion was the performance test used. Animals were tested daily, 5 times per week, for 2 weeks prior to irradiation, and, on the same test schedule, for as long as 9 weeks post-irradiation. Exposure to X-ray doses of 300 to 1000 r depressed the ability to perform in this test. The magnitude of depression in performance was dependent upon the X-ray dose. Irradiated animals surviving the period of testing recovered sufficientely by the 9th week after irradiation to attain their pre-irradiation performance level although they were not identical in performance with concurrently tested non-irradiated animals. Animals which died soon after irradiation were nearly normal in performance prior to death while animals which died later had a lower performance level varying with the length of the post-irradiation survival period.