[Gas exchange in boars of different development stages during motor activity]

Continuous measurements were performed on 16 untrained boars for VO2, VCO2, and rectal temperature, prior to, during, and after running exercises on an horizontal exercise belt, with speeds set to 1.3 m.s-1 corresponding to something between 23 and 43 kg of body weight b.wt. or 0.7 and 1.3 m.s-1 corresponding to 76 to 86 kg of b.wt. The highest values of VO2 and VCO2 (ml.min-1/kg-1 b.wt.) and of rectal temperature (degrees C) were 36.78 +/- 3.57, 40.23 +/- 6.17, and 41.9 +/- 0.6 in younger animals or 21.49 +/- 2.46, 22.53 +/- 3.12, 40.8 +/- 0.5, 29.3 +/- 5.15, 30.6 +/- 4.77, and 40.7 +/- 0.45 for somewhat older animals for belt speeds of 0.7 and 1.3 m.s-1. Exercise belt speeds of 0.7 to 1.3 m.s-1 were found to be suitable for testing aerobic metabolic capacity of untrained young boars.