Deprivation and Satiation: The Interrelations Between Food and Wheel Running

Abstract

Two experiments were designed to assess whether depriving rats of food would increase the reinforcement effectiveness of wheel running (Experiment 1) and whether satiation for wheel running would decrease the reinforcement effectiveness of food (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, a progressive-ratio schedule was used to measure the reinforcement effectiveness of wheel running when rats were deprived or not deprived of food. Completion of a fixed number of lever presses released a brake on a running wheel for 60 s, and the response requirement was systematically increased until the rat stopped pressing or until 8 hr had elapsed. The ratio value reached (and the total number of lever presses) was an inverted-U function of food deprivation (percentage body weight). In Experiment 2, when wheel running preceded test sessions, fewer food-reinforced lever presses were maintained by the progressive-ratio schedule, and responding occurred at a lower rate on a variable-interval schedule. An interpretation of these results is that deprivation or satiation with respect to one event (such as food) alters the reinforcement effectiveness of a different event (such as access to wheel running).

Chronic voluntary wheel running facilitates corticosterone response habituation to repeated audiogenic stress exposure in male rats

“…In a subsequent study (Lett et al 2001), this same group showed that naloxone attenuated the conditioned place preference induced by wheel running, implying that the rewarding effect of wheel running is mediated by endogenous opioids. Pierce et al (1986) have reported that rats will bar press vigorously to gain even brief access to running wheels.…”

Activity-based anorexia: Ambient temperature has been a neglected factor

“…This inhibitory effect of exercise on food intake is shown by the transient decrease in food intake when groups of rats fed ad lib are introduced to the wheels (Altemus et al, 1996). Furthermore, Pierce, Epling,and Boer (1986) showed that both spontaneous and forced activity can decrease the reinforcing effectiveness of food, as if "exercise appears to substitute for eating" (Epling & Pierce, 1991, p. 144). The brain mechanism underlying this anorexic effect of exercise seems to involve the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (Rivest & Richard, 1990).…”

Pairings of a distinctive chamber with the aftereffect of wheel running produce conditioned place preference

“…Evidence for this is that rats will perform an operant response to gain a brief period of wheel running (e.g. Belke & Heyman, 1994;Iversen, 1993;Pierce et al, 1986;Premack, 1962). For example, rats will bar press vigorously on a fixed-ratio schedule for an opportunity to wheel run for 60 sec (Pierce et al, 1986).…”