Comparability and repeatability of three commonly used methods for measuring endurance capacity

Area of Science:

• Comparative physiology
• Ecomorphology
• Animal performance

Background:

• Endurance (time to exhaustion) is crucial in ecomorphological and physiological research, often serving as a proxy for survival and fitness.
• Common methods include swimming, stationary track running, and treadmill running, applied across diverse taxa.
• The comparability and biological relevance of these distinct endurance measurement techniques are seldom investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the repeatability and comparability of swimming, stationary track running, and treadmill running endurance tests.
• To determine if endurance performance ranks are consistent across different testing modalities in Australian water dragons.
• To assess the biological relevance of different endurance measurement methods for a versatile species.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Australian water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) for comparative endurance trials.
• Measured time to exhaustion using three distinct methods: swimming, stationary track running, and treadmill running.
• Analyzed repeatability within and between methods, and compared mean maximal endurance times and individual performance ranks.

Main Results:

• Time to exhaustion showed low repeatability within individual testing methods.
• Swimming trials yielded significantly lower mean maximal endurance times compared to both stationary track and treadmill running.
• An individual's endurance performance rank was not consistent across the three different methods.

Conclusions:

• Single or averaged time to exhaustion measures may not be reliable due to low repeatability.
• Swimming, stationary track, and treadmill running provide different insights into an individual's endurance capacity.
• Selecting endurance testing methods that align with the study species' behavior, ecology, and physiology is critical for meaningful research outcomes.