Nutritional considerations in the production of rodents for aging studies

Dietary restriction in the maintenance of animals for aging research has been the subject of intense recent interest. This interest may be justified. Current formulas for laboratory animal diets were a natural progression from those for farm animals, but the objectives and conditions for maintaining laboratory and farm animals are often quite different. Indeed, the practice of ad lib feeding current laboratory animal formulations may actually have deleterious effects that can be reduced or eliminated by restricting food intake. This paper reviews many of the major considerations in the development and application of dietary restriction protocols, including formulation, nutritional management during long-term studies, and practical considerations.