Cardiovascular changes associated with treadmill running in the Pekin duck

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Animal Exercise Physiology
• Avian Thermoregulation

Background:

• Understanding avian physiological responses to exercise is crucial for avian welfare and performance.
• Pekin ducks' thermoregulatory strategies during and after exercise remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the physiological adaptations of Pekin ducks during treadmill exercise.
• To analyze cardiovascular and respiratory responses, including oxygen consumption and blood flow.
• To determine the primary heat loss mechanisms in the post-exercise period.

Main Methods:

• Six adult white Pekin ducks exercised on a treadmill at 1.43 km/h for 10 minutes.
• Measured parameters included oxygen consumption, CO2 production, breathing rate, blood gases, blood flow (sciatic and carotid), and temperatures (colonic and skin).

Main Results:

• Oxygen consumption increased 2.6-3.6 times from rest during exercise, supported by a 61% rise in cardiac output and 51% increase in arterio-venous oxygen difference.
• Sciatic and carotid blood flow increased 3.7 and 2.3 times, respectively; carotid flow decreased rapidly post-exercise, while sciatic flow decreased slowly.
• Post-exercise, web temperature increased, suggesting a preference for non-evaporative heat loss, with minor importance of respiratory evaporative cooling, correlating with a small 0.3°C body temperature increase.

Conclusions:

• Pekin ducks exhibit significant physiological adjustments to meet exercise demands, including increased oxygen delivery and utilization.
• Non-evaporative heat dissipation, particularly via the feet, is the primary thermoregulatory strategy post-exercise in Pekin ducks.
• The duck's thermoregulatory strategy is adapted to minimize internal heat load during moderate exercise.