EFFECT OF ACUTE INDUCED METABOLIC ALKALOSIS ON THE ACID BASE RESPONSES TO SPRINT EXERCISE OF 6 RACING GREYHOUNDS/

To investigate the effect of acute induced metabolic alkalosis on the haematological, biochemical and metabolic responses to sprint exercise , six greyhound dogs with previously placed carotid artetrial catheter s were raced four times over a distance of 400 metres. Each dog was ra ced twice after receiving oral sodium bicarbonate solution (NaHCO3) (4 00 mg kg(-1)) or lactated Ringer's solution (LRS). Before, and for int ervals of up to one hour after, the exercise arterial blood samples we re collected for the measurement of blood gases, packed cell volume, t otal protein, serum biochemistry and plasma lactate. The time to compl ete the 400 metre sprint ranged from 32 . 7 seconds to 36 . 9 seconds. There was no significant difference in racing times between the dogs treated with NaHCO3 and LRS, and there was no significant difference b etween the plasma lactate measurements after the treatments with NaHCO 3 or LRS. Serum chloride concentrations were significantly lower after NaHCO3 than after LRS, and there was a trend towards a lower serum po tassium concentration after NaHCO3 treatment. Plasma lactate concentra tions showed a similar increase and time course of disappearance after both LRS and NaHCO3 treatments. There were significant changes in all the parameters measured after the exercise, but there were large vari ations between individual dogs and between races when the dogs were re ceiving the same treatment.