Reliability of exhaustive swimming in the laboratory rat.

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Abstract
The reproducibility of swim time to exhaustion was determined in 51 male albino rats prior to training and on completion of a 4-wk. training program. The effects of a wetting agent and shaving on reproducibility and maximal swimming performance were also studied. Animals swam with loads of from 2-7% of the body weight attached to the tail. An additional group of 20 animals was used to determine reproducibility following 2 10-min exposures to the swim task. It was concluded that: There is a significant improvement in the reproducibility of swim time to exhaustion following a 4-wk. training period. Also, 2 10-min. swimming periods improve the coefficients of reliability significantly above pretraining levels. A criterion for fatigue of 10-sec. below the surface of the water correlates highly with swimming time to complete exhaustion. The reliability coefficient remains quite similar using either end point. Training not only improves reproducibility but appears to reduce learning factors, thus placing the swimming task more in the realm of an endurance activity. Shaving or the addition of a wetting agent to the water does not improve the reliability of swim time above the posttraining level of animals in untreated water. Maximal swim time is negatively correlated with body weight.

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