Studies on the metabolism of the ruminant by indirect calorimetry. III. The influence of work on the energy exchange of the goat

Abstract

Two objectives were in view in undertaking this research.; to ascertain the cost in energy of muscular work in the goat and to investigate the adaptability of the Douglas-Haldane method of indirect calorimetry to work experiments on this animal. It is to the results of human experiments chiefly, that the present position of the physiology of muscular exercise is due which owes comparatively little to experiments on other animals. Zuntz and his school (1) have, however, compared the effect of a fixed amount of work on men, horses and dogs, and Lusk (2) has carried out some investigations into the influence of work on the dog. The principal obstacle hitherto in the way of employing animals other than man for work investigations has been the want of a sufficiently adaptable technique. Zuntz's experiments on the horse were conducted by means of a tracheal cannula, a device that, though fairly adaptable for work experiments, is not always desirable. Lusk's experiments were carried out in his respiration calorimeter where the applicability was very limited. Boothby and Sandiford(3) and Kunde(4) have carried out metabolic investigations on dogs by means of the Benedict apparatus, but here again the device is only of limited value for work experiments, which none of these workers have apparently yet undertaken. It was believed therefore that, if the proposed experiments were a success, in addition to possessing a certain physiological value, they would open up a wide field of research of great practical significance.