Effects of varying doses of estrogen and caudal pressure on wheel running in orchidectomized male mice.

Physical inactivity is a leading cause of hypokinetic diseases - obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancers. Increased city walkability, better access to fitness facilities, and remediation of socioeconomic barriers prove successful for limited populations within the confines of stringently controlled environments; however, these strategies fail to reverse the ever-increasing physical inactivity epidemic on a global scale indicating the existence of other unidentified factors. These purported biological factors remain critical targets to understand the regulation of this complex phenotype.

Prolonged Effects of Elevated 17β-Estradiol on Physical Activity after Orchidectomy.

Unlabelled: The biological mechanisms regulating physical activity patterns appear to be linked to the sex hormones. Elucidation of these regulatory mechanisms may enhance individual physical activity patterns producing positive gains in health.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prolonged effects of estrogen on wheel running distance, duration, and speed in orchidectomized mice.

Stabilization of the wheel running phenotype in mice.

Purpose: Increased physical activity is well known to improve health and wellness by modifying the risks for many chronic diseases. Rodent wheel running behavior is a beneficial surrogate model to evaluate the biology of daily physical activity in humans. Upon initial exposure to a running wheel, individual mice differentially respond to the experience, which confounds the normal activity patterns exhibited in this otherwise repeatable phenotype.