Renal hemodynamics and proteinuria in running and swimming beagle dogs

In beagle dogs swimming, in contrast to treadmill running, was found to cause an increase in urine flow and urinary protein excretion. Renal blood flow measured by electromagnetic flow probes decreased by 13.0 +/- 4.9% when the treadmill gradient was 15% and arterial pressure was elevated by 11.6 +/- 4.9%. Immersion resulted in an immediate decrease in renal blood flow of 8.8 +/- 5.1% and a 24.6 +/- 6.9% increase in arterial pressure. Acid-base status indicated a respiratory alkalosis in all running experiments, no net change in five swimming experiments in which hyperventilation occurred, but a metabolic acidosis in eight swimming experiments without hyperventilation. During running there was a threefold increase in oxygen consumption. We conclude that swimming possibly induces more sympathetic nervous activity than treadmill running in dogs, while an alkalosis is consistently present during running, but acid-base response is variable during swimming.