Sucrose solution concentration and the intermittent access induced consumption increase.

Animals fed ad libitum consume less of a preferred additional food with daily access than with access only once every few days. With 4% sucrose solution, rats can drink over twice as much in a day if they receive it every fourth day compared to daily access. These differences are maintained when all rats are put on the same schedule.

Intermittent access to a sucrose solution for rats causes long-term increases in consumption.

Intermittent access to palatable food can elevate consumption beyond an animal's immediate needs. If adult male rats (with ad lib access to food and water) are provided with a 4% sucrose solution, daily sucrose consumption is determined by the sucrose access schedule: access that is intermittent leads to high levels of consumption. In Experiment 1, sucrose solutions were first provided continuously or every second, third, or fourth day for 23.