Correspondence between thermal biology and locomotor performance in a liolaemid lizard from the southeastern coastal Pampas of Argentina.

The behavioral and physiological mechanisms of thermoregulation and the morphological traits of lizards result in a particular range of body temperatures, which influence performance and ultimately fitness. We studied the thermal biology and locomotor performance of the lizard Liolaemus wiegmannii from the coastal dunes in the southeastern Pampas of Argentina. During the austral summer, we examined the link between thermoregulation and optimal locomotor performance. Liolaemus wiegmannii faced a stressful environment due to high risk of overheating; despite this, the species was able to achieve field body temperatures (Mean Tb ± SD = 35.58 ± 2.86 °C) than expected by chance (i.e., the null model) and suitable for sustaining its physiological performance. Locomotion in this species was thermally-sensitive, with lizards showing high-performance bouts at a relatively wide range of body temperatures (30-38 °C). Lizards exhibited a mean maximum running speed of 1.30 m/s at 37.3 °C (i.e., optimal temperature for locomotion) which was within the set point range of preferred temperature (Tset = 35.4-37.5 °C). Therefore, we found a correspondence between thermal optimum and preferred temperature. Our findings suggest that L. wiegmannii, like other lizard species with a broad distribution, is capable of performing well across a wide range of temperatures despite the spatiotemporal thermal fluctuations of the environment.

Short- and long-term effects of an extreme case of autotomy: does "tail" loss and subsequent constipation decrease the locomotor performance of male and female scorpions?

In many taxa, individuals voluntarily detach a body part as a form to increase their chances of escaping predation. This defense mechanism, known as autotomy, has several consequences, such as changes in locomotor performance that may affect fitness. Scorpions of the genus Ananteris autotomize the "tail", which in fact corresponds to the last abdominal segments. After autotomy, individuals lose nearly 25% of their body mass and the last portion of the digestive tract, including the anus, which prevents defecation and leads to constipation, because regeneration does not occur. Here, we experimentally investigated the short- and long-term effects of tail loss on the locomotor performance of Ananteris balzani. In a short-term experiment, the maximum running speed (MRS) of males and females did not change after autotomy. Moreover, the relative mass of the lost tail did not affect the change in MRS after autotomy. In a long-term experiment, autotomy had a negative effect on the MRS of males, but not of females. Autotomized over-fed individuals suffered from severe constipation but were not slower than autotomized normally fed individuals. In conclusion, tail loss has no immediate effect on the locomotor performance of scorpions. The long-term decrease in the locomotor performance of autotomized males may impair mate searching. However, because death by constipation takes several months, males have a long time to find mates and reproduce. Thus, the prolonged period between autotomy and death by constipation is crucial for understanding the evolution of one of the most extreme cases of autotomy in nature.

Latitudinal pattern of the thermal sensitivity of running speed in the endemic lizard Liolaemus multimaculatus.

Physiological performance in lizards may be affected by climate across latitudinal or altitudinal gradients. In the coastal dune barriers in central-eastern Argentina, the annual maximum environmental temperature decreases up to 2°C from low to high latitudes, while the mean relative humidity of the air decreases from 50% to 25%. Liolaemus multimaculatus, a lizard in the family Liolaemidae, is restricted to these coastal dunes. We investigated the locomotor performance of the species at 6 different sites distributed throughout its range in these dune barriers. We inquired whether locomotor performance metrics were sensitive to the thermal regime attributable to latitude. The thermal performance breadth increased from 7% to 82% with latitude, due to a decrease in its critical thermal minimum of up to 5°C at higher latitudes. Lizards from high latitude sites showed a thermal optimum, that is, the body temperature at which maximum speed is achieved, up to 4°C lower than that of lizards from the low latitude. At relatively low temperatures, the maximum running speed of high-latitude individuals was faster than that of low-latitude ones. Thermal parameters of locomotor performance were labile, decreasing as a function of latitude. These results show populations of L. multimaculatus adjust thermal physiology to cope with local climatic variations. This suggests that thermal sensitivity responds to the magnitude of latitudinal fluctuations in environmental temperature.

Increased lactate threshold after five weeks of treadmill aerobic training in rats / Aumento do limiar de lactato após cinco semanas de treinamento aeróbio em esteira em ratos

The aim of the present study was to analyse the lactate threshold (LT) changes in rats submitted to an aerobic treadmill-training programme. Twenty-five Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a sedentary control group (CG), and a trained group (TG) submitted to an aerobic training during 5 weeks. All the animals were submitted to an incremental treadmill exercise test in order to determine LT. There was an increase in the maximum running speed in the TG (from 32.25 ± 1.27 to 47.75 ± 3.13 m.min–1 p = 0.001), and running speed at LT (from 26.21 ± 1.15 to 35.30 ± 2.24 m.min–1 p = 0.004), a part from the reduction in blood lactate at LT. LT can be determined in rats, and aerobic training induced positive oxidative physiological adaptations in the animals.(AU)

O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar as mudanças no limiar de lactato (LL) em ratos submetidos a um programa de treinamento aeróbio em esteira. Vinte e cinco ratos Wistar foram divididos em dois grupos: um grupo controle sedentário (CG), e um grupo treinado (GT) submetido a um treinamento aeróbio durante 5 semanas. Todos os animais foram submetidos a um teste de exercício incremental em esteira, a fim de determinar o LL. Houve um aumento na velocidade máxima de corrida no GT (de 32,25 ± 1,27 para 47,75 ± 3,13 m.min–1 - p = 0,001), e velocidade de corrida no LL (de 26,21 ± 1,15 para 35,30 ± 2,24 m.min–1 - p = 0,004), além da redução na concentração de lactato no LL. O LL pode ser determinado em ratos e o treinamento aeróbio induziu a adaptações fisiológicas oxidativas positivas nos animais.(AU)

Increased lactate threshold after five weeks of treadmill aerobic training in rats / Aumento do limiar de lactato após cinco semanas de treinamento aeróbio em esteira em ratos

The aim of the present study was to analyse the lactate threshold (LT) changes in rats submitted to an aerobic treadmill-training programme. Twenty-five Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a sedentary control group (CG), and a trained group (TG) submitted to an aerobic training during 5 weeks. All the animals were submitted to an incremental treadmill exercise test in order to determine LT. There was an increase in the maximum running speed in the TG (from 32.25 ± 1.27 to 47.75 ± 3.13 m.min–1 – p = 0.001), and running speed at LT (from 26.21 ± 1.15 to 35.30 ± 2.24 m.min–1 – p = 0.004), a part from the reduction in blood lactate at LT. LT can be determined in rats, and aerobic training induced positive oxidative physiological adaptations in the animals.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar as mudanças no limiar de lactato (LL) em ratos submetidos a um programa de treinamento aeróbio em esteira. Vinte e cinco ratos Wistar foram divididos em dois grupos: um grupo controle sedentário (CG), e um grupo treinado (GT) submetido a um treinamento aeróbio durante 5 semanas. Todos os animais foram submetidos a um teste de exercício incremental em esteira, a fim de determinar o LL. Houve um aumento na velocidade máxima de corrida no GT (de 32,25 ± 1,27 para 47,75 ± 3,13 m.min–1 - p = 0,001), e velocidade de corrida no LL (de 26,21 ± 1,15 para 35,30 ± 2,24 m.min–1 - p = 0,004), além da redução na concentração de lactato no LL. O LL pode ser determinado em ratos e o treinamento aeróbio induziu a adaptações fisiológicas oxidativas positivas nos animais.

Runners in their forties dominate ultra-marathons from 50 to 3,100 miles

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated performance trends and the age of peak running speed in ultra-marathons from 50 to 3,100 miles. METHODS: The running speed and age of the fastest competitors in 50-, 100-, 200-, 1,000- and 3,100-mile events held worldwide from 1971 to 2012 were analyzed using single- and multi-level regression analyses. RESULTS: The number of events and competitors increased exponentially in 50- and 100-mile events. For the annual fastest runners, women improved in 50-mile events, but not men. In 100-mile events, both women and men improved their performance. In 1,000-mile events, men became slower. For the annual top ten runners, women improved in 50- and 100-mile events, whereas the performance of men remained unchanged in 50- and 3,100-mile events but improved in 100-mile events. The age of the annual fastest runners was approximately 35 years for both women and men in 50-mile events and approximately 35 years for women in 100-mile events. For men, the age of the annual fastest runners in 100-mile events was higher at 38 years. For the annual fastest runners of 1,000-mile events, the women were approximately 43 years of age, whereas for men, the age increased to 48 years of age. For the annual fastest runners of 3,100-mile events, the age in women decreased to 35 years and was approximately 39 years in men. CONCLUSION: The running speed of the fastest competitors increased for both women and men in 100-mile events but only for women in 50-mile events. The age of peak running speed increased in men with increasing race distance to approximately 45 years in 1,000-mile events, whereas it decreased to approximately 39 years in 3,100-mile events. In women, the upper age of peak running speed increased to approximately 51 years in 3,100-mile events. .

Comparação entre os ajustes de curva exponencial e polinomial na determinação do limiar de lactato pelo método Dmax / Comparison between exponential and polynomial curve fitting on the determination of the lactate threshold by the Dmax method / Comparación entre el ajuste de la curva exponencial y polinómica en la determinación del umbral de lactato por el método Dmax

Comparou-se a velocidade de corrida no limiar de lactato (vLL) determinada pelo método Dmax utilizando-se os ajustes de curva exponencial mais constante (vLLexp) e polinomial de terceira ordem (vLLpol). Dezessete corredoras recreacionais realizaram um teste incremental descontínuo em esteira rolante até a exaustão voluntária com coleta de sangue entre os estágios para análise do lactato. A vLL Exp (10,9 ± 0,8 km/h) foi estatisticamente diferente (P < 0,05) da vLL Pol (10,4 ± 1,1 km/h) utilizando-se o teste t de Student pareado. A correlação entre a vLL Exp e a vLL Pol foi de r = 0,84. As correlações entre a velocidade pico e as vLL foram r = 0,94 (vLLexp) e r = 0,69 (vLLpol). Foi concluído que a escolha da curva de regressão do lactato sanguíneo influi no valor da vLL, sendo a vLLpol consistentemente inferior à vLLexp.

The running speed at lactate threshold (vLT) determined by the Dmax method was compared using the exponential plus constant (vLTexp) and third level polynomial (vLTpol) curve fitting. Seventeen female recreational runners underwent a treadmill incremental test until voluntary exhaustion. Blood samples were collected between the stages for lactate analysis. The vLTexp (10.9 ± 0.8 km/h) was statistically different (P < 0.05) from vLTpol (10.4 ± 1.1 km/h) using paired Student's t test. The correlation between vLTexp and vLTpol was r = 0.84. The correlations between peak speed and vLT were r = 0.94 (vLTexp) and r = 0.69 (vLTpol). It was concluded that the choice of the blood lactate regression curve influences the vLT value, in which the vLTpol was consistently lower than the vLTexp.

Se comparó la velocidad de carrera en el umbral de lactato (vLL) determinado por el método Dmax utilizando la curva exponencial más constante (vLLexp) y polinómica de tercer grado (vLLpol). Diecisiete corredoras recreativas ejecutaron una prueba incremental discontinua en la cinta rodante hasta la extenuación voluntaria con la extracción de sangre entre las etapas para el análisis de lactato. La vLL Exp (10,9 ± 0,8 km/h) fue estadísticamente diferente (P < 0,05) de la vLL Pol (10,4 ± 1,1 km/h) mediante la prueba t de Student pareado. La correlación entre vLL Exp y vLL Pol fue de r = 0,84. Las correlaciones entre el pico de velocidad y las vLL fueron de r = 0,94 (vLLexp) y r = 0,69 (vLLpol). Fue concluido que la elección de la curva de regresión de lactato sanguíneo influye en el valor de la vLL, siendo la vLLpol sistemáticamente inferior a la vLLexp.