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Swimming Performance Assessment in Fishes
Published on: May 20, 2011
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Links between mitochondrial function, whole-animal metabolic rate, telomere dynamics and swimming performance in
Darryl McLennan1, Agnieszka Magierecka1, Neal J Dawson1
1School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
The Journal of Experimental Biology
|December 23, 2025
Summary
Better fish swimmers have higher standard metabolic rates (SMR) and greater mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity. Cellular energy production, not mitochondrial efficiency, influences swimming performance.
Area of Science:
- * Physiology
- * Cellular Biology
- * Ecology
Background:
- * Fish swimming relies on aerobic muscular force, necessitating understanding its metabolic underpinnings.
- * Previous research often used whole-body oxygen consumption, lacking cellular energy production insights.
- * Mitochondrial function, including oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and coupling efficiency (OxCE), is crucial for energy generation.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate the relationship between organism-level metabolic rates (SMR, MMR), mitochondrial function (OXPHOS, OxCE), and fish swimming performance (Ucrit).
- * To assess the influence of muscle fiber type proportion on swimming ability.
- * To explore links between mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, telomere length, and swimming performance.
Main Methods:
- * Measured standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximal metabolic rate (MMR), and critical swimming speed (Ucrit) in European minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus).
- * Assessed mitochondrial function: oxygen consumption rates for OXPHOS and proton leak (OxCE).
- * Analyzed muscle fiber composition, mitochondrial ROS production, and telomere length.
Main Results:
- * Critical swimming speed (Ucrit) was not correlated with mitochondrial efficiency (OxCE), MMR, or aerobic muscle fiber proportion.
- * Ucrit positively correlated with SMR and OXPHOS capacity, indicating higher baseline metabolism and ATP production support better swimming.
- * A significant association was found between OxCE and mitochondrial ROS production, but not with telomere length.
Conclusions:
- * Fish swimming performance is primarily linked to higher standard metabolic rate and enhanced cellular capacity for ATP production via OXPHOS.
- * Mitochondrial efficiency (OxCE) does not directly predict swimming speed.
- * Cellular energy production mechanisms play a key role in determining overall organismal performance.
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