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Beneficial effects of sustained activity on the use of dietary protein and carbohydrate traced with stable isotopes 15N and 13C in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

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Abstract

To determine the effects of sustained swimming on the use and fate of dietary nutrients in gilthead sea bream, a group of fish were forced to undertake moderate and sustained swimming (1.5 BL s−1) for 3 weeks and compared with a control group undertaking voluntary activity. The exercise group showed a significant increase in specific growth rate (C: 1.13 ± 0.05; E: 1.32 ± 0.06 % day−1, P < 0.05) with no significant change in food intake (C: 3.56 ± 0.20; E: 3.84 ± 0.03 % of body weight). The addition of 13C-starch and 15N-protein to a single meal of 1 % ration allowed analysis of the fate of both nutrients in several tissues and in their components, 6 and 24 h after force-feeding. In exercised fish improved redistribution of dietary components increased the use of carbohydrates and lipid as fuels. Gilthead sea bream have a considerable capacity for carbohydrate absorption irrespective of swimming conditions, but in trained fish 13C rose in all liver fractions with no changes in store contents. This implies higher nutrient turnover with exercise. Higher retention of dietary protein (higher 15N uptake into white muscle during the entire post-prandial period) was found under sustained exercise, highlighting the protein-sparing effect. The combined effects of a carbohydrate-rich, low-protein diet plus sustained swimming enhanced amino acid retention and also prevented excessive lipid deposition in gilthead sea bream.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Pilar Teixidor and Pilar Rubio from the “Centre Científic i Tecnològic” (CCIT-UB) for their valuable help during isotopic analyses. This study was supported by a grant from the Spanish government (AGL2009-12427). O. Felip and M. Martín-Pérez received fellowships from FPI-2007 and FI-2007 of the Spanish government and the Catalan government, respectively. The English version was corrected by the Language Advisory Service of the University of Barcelona.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. Departament de Fisiologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain

    O. Felip, J. Blasco, A. Ibarz, M. Martin-Perez & J. Fernández-Borràs

  2. Centre de Referència i Desenvolupament en Aqüicultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

    O. Felip, J. Blasco, A. Ibarz, M. Martin-Perez & J. Fernández-Borràs

  3. Departament de Fisiologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal, 643, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain

    O. Felip

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  1. O. Felip
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Correspondence to O. Felip.

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Communicated by G. Heldmaier.

The experiments complied with the Guidelines of the European Union Council (86/609/EU), the Spanish Government (RD 1201/2005) and the University of Barcelona (specific ethics approval number for the protocol was CEEA-96/09) for the use of laboratory animals.

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Felip, O., Blasco, J., Ibarz, A. et al. Beneficial effects of sustained activity on the use of dietary protein and carbohydrate traced with stable isotopes 15N and 13C in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). J Comp Physiol B 183, 223–234 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-012-0703-6

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