Exercise training enhances aerobic capacity in juvenile estuarine crocodiles ( Crocodylus porosus)

Abstract

Aerobic capacity (VO 2max) of endothermic vertebrates is known to increase with exercise training, but this effect has not been found to-date in non-avian reptiles. We exercised juvenile estuarine crocodiles ( Crocodylus porosus) to walk at 0.75–0.88 km/h on a treadmill for up to 20 min a day over 16 weeks, and compared their aerobic performance with that of unexercised crocodiles. In the exercised group, VO 2max increased from 6.9 to 8.5 mLO 2/kg/min (+ 28%), and locomotor endurance increased from 3.8 to 6.9 min (+ 82%). Neither VO 2max nor endurance changed significantly in the sedentary group. This finding extends the exercise training effect onto another vertebrate clade, and demonstrates that ectothermic amniotes are capable of elevating their aerobic capacity in response to exercise training. We propose that differences in cardiopulmonary structure and function in non-avian reptiles may be responsible for the absence (in squamates) or presence (in crocodilians) of a strong training effect on aerobic capacity.