![]() ![]() As it relates to energy balance, wheel running engages several brain systems-including those related to the stress response, mood, and reward, and those responsive to growth factors-that influence energy balance indirectly. These behavioral processes include defensive behavior, predatory aggression, and depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. ![]() We contend that wheel-running activity should be considered a behavior in and of itself, reflecting several underlying behavioral processes in addition to a rodent's general, spontaneous activity. In fact, the presence of running wheels alters several aspects of energy balance, including body weight and composition, food intake, and energy expenditure of activity. While wheel running and physical activity in the absence of a wheel commonly correlate in a general sense, in many specific aspects the two do not correspond. Here, we will begin by systematically reviewing how running wheel availability affects physical activity and other aspects of energy balance in laboratory rodents. There is no consensus on the nature of wheel-running activity or its underlying causes, however. ![]() Running wheels are commonly employed to measure rodent physical activity in a variety of contexts, including studies of energy balance and obesity. ![]()
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