McMullan2 project protocol

Voluntary exercise traits in aging females of 43 Collaborative Cross strains of mice   (2017)

McMullan RC, Pomp D, Pardo-Manuel de Villena F




Project protocol - Contents

Workflow and sampling

Step
Procedure
Equipment
Data collected
1
Voluntary wheel running Standard laboratory cages with attached running wheels
Distance traveled, duration, average speed
2 Measure food intake and assess body composition
Scales and MRI See McMullan3

Equipment and supplies

  • Running wheels (1.1 m circumference) (Lafayette Industries, Lafayette IN)
  • Automated Activity Wheel Monitoring Program (AWM, Lafayette Industries, Lafayette IN)

Procedure: Voluntary exercise

  1. Mice are individually housed in standard laboratory cages with attached running wheels.
  2. Mice are allowed ad libitum access to running wheels for a month (28 days).
  3. Voluntary wheel running is recorded continuously in 1-min intervals (as number of revolutions) using software from the manufacturer.

Data collected by investigator

  • Daily distance traveled (total revolutions x 1.1 m)
  • Daily duration (cumulative 1-min intervals in which at least 1 revolution is recorded)
  • Daily average speed (total revolutions/total duration)