Table 1 The differences between voluntary and forced exercise in murine studies
Voluntary exercise | Forced exercise |
|---|---|
Self-selected cruising speed | Researcher pre-prescribed speeds |
Variable speeds | Constant speeds |
Short bursts of exercise | Relatively long periods of exercise |
No coercion of the animal | Coercion of the animal |
No psychological stress arising from coercion | Possible psychological stress arising from coercion |
No physiological cascades arising from psychological stress from coercion | Possible physiological cascades arising from potential psychological stress from coercion |
No potential for physiological responses to the psychological stress of coercion to interact with or confound the parameters under investigation | Potential for physiological responses to the psychological stress of coercion to interact with or confound the parameters under investigation |
No potential for confounded findings due to psychological stress physiology | Potential for confounded findings due to physiological stress physiology |
Directly translatable to clinical studies | Difficulty with translation to clinical studies |