{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T17:28:26Z","timestamp":1785864506853,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]],"date-time":"2024-10-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1728000000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Metabolites"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Animal models can help understand human physiological responses, including the response to exercise and physical activity. However, many of these models incorporate noxious stimuli for various scientific purposes. We propose a noxious stimuli-free treadmill running training program for Rattus norvegicus species to study adaptations to aerobic exercise. Methods: In this study, rats were randomly allocated to training (n = 20) and sedentary (n = 20) groups. The training group underwent a program consisting of 30\u201350 min of treadmill running at 60% intensity, three times per week for 8 weeks. Maximum speed tasks (Tmax) were conducted to determine, adjust, and evaluate changes in fitness conditions. The rats had one week of familiarization with the treadmill, and a rubber ball was used at the back wall of the lane as a painless stimulus to encourage running. All assessments were conducted by two independent researchers in a double-blind manner, with data analysis conducted by a third-blind investigator. Results: A significant effect of time (\u03b72p = 0.430, p &lt; 0.001, large effect) could be found, showing differences between Tmax1 and Tmax2, and between Tmax1 and Tmax3 in both groups. The training group significantly outperformed the sedentary group (\u03b72p = 0.266, p &lt; 0.001, large effect). There was a significant interaction between time and condition (\u03b72p = 0.152, p &lt; 0.001, large effect). Conclusions: The proposed moderate-intensity treadmill running program could effectively differentiate between trained and sedentary conditions within both the short period of 4 weeks and the extended period of 8 weeks. This protocol can be used as a model for running on a treadmill for Rattus norvegicus species without the use of noxious stimuli.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/metabo14100534","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]],"date-time":"2024-10-04T10:20:52Z","timestamp":1728037252000},"page":"534","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["A Proposal for a Noxious Stimuli-Free, Moderate-Intensity Treadmill Running Protocol to Improve Aerobic Performance in Experimental Research on Rats"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7198-3601","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gilmara Gomes","family":"de Assis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Odontology, School of Dentistry, Sao Paulo State University, Araraquara 14801-385, SP, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elda Olivia Nobre","family":"de Souza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Odontology, School of Dentistry, Sao Paulo State University, Araraquara 14801-385, SP, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2860-2260","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulo Francisco","family":"de Almeida-Neto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, CCS-UFRN, Natal 59078-970, RN, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Halil \u0130brahim","family":"Ceylan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Education and Sports Teaching Department, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Atat\u00fcrk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8409-868X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicola Luigi","family":"Bragazzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada"},{"name":"Human Nutrition Unit (HNU), Department of Food and Drugs, Medical School, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"660","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jshs.2021.08.002","article-title":"Animal exercise studies in cardiovascular research: Current knowledge and optimal design\u2014A position paper of the Committee on Cardiac Rehabilitation, Chinese Medical Doctors\u2019 Association","volume":"10","author":"Bei","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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