EFFECTS OF TREADMILL EXERCISE ON PHYSIOLOGICAL-RESPONSES IN SAANEN GOATS

Mean respiration rate (RR) rose progressively from 19.4 +/- 0.6 to 164 .4 +/- 0.6/min during 2 h of exercise (P < 0.001), at the end of which time the rate in male goats (233/min) was more than 2 X that in femal es (96/min, P < 0.001). Sex X times and sex X days interactions were s ignificant (P < 0.05), indicating that RR in females rose more slowly during exercise than in males (0.7 vs. 2.1 respirations/min), and that females acclimated to exercise, whereas males did not. There were sig nificant differences between sexes in rectal (RT) and skin temperature s (ST; P < 0.05); means varying by 0.2 degrees C or less. In each case values for males were lower than for females. It was concluded that m ale goats responded more to exercise in the heat than females, and tha t the higher respiratory moisture losses which are presumed to accompa ny their higher respiratory rates were effective in controlling their body temperatures. The results indicate that exercise causes stress to the animals in both sexes.