EXERCISE ATTENUATES ORAL INTAKE OF AMPHETAMINE IN RATS

The effects of wheel running on oral intake of amphetamine were examin ed in six male Sprague-Dawley rats given a 0.075-mg/ml amphetamine sul fate solution as their sole source of liquid, six rats given a 0.15-mg /ml amphetamine solution, and four rats given water as their sole sour ce of liquid. All animals were housed in Wahmann running wheels and ad joining cages, and had ad lib access to ground Purina Chow. For the fi rst 7 days of the experiment, the doors to the running wheels were clo sed; the wheels were then opened for 6 days. This cycle was repeated a second time. Animals drinking the 0.15-mg/ml amphetamine solution con sumed significantly less food and gained less weight than animals in t he other two groups. Although there was no difference in food intake b etween rats drinking water and rats drinking the 0.075-mg/ml amphetami ne solution, rats in the water group gained significantly more weight than rats in the 0.075-mg/ml amphetamine group. With respect to drug i ntake, rats consumed significantly less amphetamine when running in th e wheels than when access to the wheels was prohibited. Access to runn ing wheels did not alter water intake. These latter results suggest th at drug intake can be reduced by the provision of an alternate behavio r.