Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026

Simultaneous Detection of c-Fos Activation from Mesolimbic and Mesocortical Dopamine Reward Sites Following Naive Sugar and Fat Ingestion in Rats
Published on: August 24, 2016
Bivalent effects of wheel running on taste conditioning
Christine Dobek1, C Donald Heth, W David Pierce
1University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Abstract:
We replicated the finding of bivalent conditioning of tastes by wheel running by Hughes and Boakes (2008), but without pre-exposure to the wheel. Rats received six days of conditioning with a flavoured solution presented for 10 min before a 40-min placement in a running wheel and another flavoured solution presented for 10 min after. A highly palatable liquid meal replacement was used as a vehicle for the flavours to encourage consumption, allowing us to equate before and after presentation intervals. Relative to a third flavour, we found that the taste preceding wheel running was consumed less, and the taste that followed wheel running was consumed more. Novel wheel running can therefore condition both taste avoidance and taste preference.
Related Concept Videos
Conditioned Taste Aversion
A notable characteristic of conditioned taste aversion is that it often requires only a single exposure...
Gustation
The Physiology of Taste
Taste Buds and Receptors

