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Energy metabolism of Inuit sled dogs

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Abstract

We explored how seasonal changes in temperature, exercise and food supply affected energy metabolism and heart rate of Inuit dogs in Greenland. Using open flow respirometry, doubly labeled water, and heart rate recording, we measured metabolic rates of the same dogs at two different locations: at one location the dogs were fed with high energy food throughout the year while at the other location they were fed with low energy food during summer. Our key questions were: is resting metabolic rate (RMR) increased during the winter season when dogs are working? Does feeding regime affect RMR during summer? What is the proportion of metabolic rate (MR) devoted to specific dynamic action (SDA), and what is the metabolic scope of working Inuit sled dogs? The Inuit dogs had an extremely wide thermoneutral zone extending down to −25°C. Temperature changes between summer and winter did not affect RMR, thus summer fasting periods were defined as baseline RMR. Relative to this baseline, summer MR was upregulated in the group of dogs receiving low energy food, whereas heart rate was downregulated. However, during food digestion, both MR and HR were twice their respective baseline values. A continuously elevated MR was observed during winter. Because temperature effects were excluded and because there were also no effects of training, we attribute winter elevated MR to SDA because of the continuous food supply. Working MR during winter was 7.9 times the MR of resting dogs in winter, or 12.2 times baseline MR.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Dr. Reinhardt Kristensen, Dr. Rasmus Ejrnæs, Akaaraq Mølgaard and the staff of the Arctic station of the University of Copenhagen in Qeqertarsuaq, Disko Island for support of the project. Hans Jensen and Saki Daorama were of great help with logistics and accommodation in Qaanaaq. Our special thanks go to Naimanitsoq Christiansen and Rasmus Avike for mushing on long sledding trips and their unforgettable company. We are grateful to Peter Thomson for mass spectrometric technical support. The Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research supplied field gear for the project. Julia Faltermeier provided skillful technical help in the field and the laboratory. This study was supported by a Grant from the German Research Council (DFG) to JMS (grant # STA 345/9-1, STA 345/9-3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology II, University of Munich (LMU), Großhadernerstr. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany

    Nadine Gerth & J. Matthias Starck

  2. Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Scotland, UK

    Paula Redman & John Speakman

  3. Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    Sue Jackson

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  1. Nadine Gerth
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Correspondence to Nadine Gerth.

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Communicated by G. Heldmaier.

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Gerth, N., Redman, P., Speakman, J. et al. Energy metabolism of Inuit sled dogs. J Comp Physiol B 180, 577–589 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-009-0432-7

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