Poultry, Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences
Open Access

Abstract

Adaptation of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) to Regular Swimming Exercise II. Metabolism

Andrs Szab

Altogether 24 (12 control and 12 treated) growing (initial bodyweight: 50.4 ± 20.1 g) common carps (Cyprinus carpio L.) were subjected to a regular training protocol for 35 days, with daily 30 min strenuous exercise bouts aiming to describe blood serum clinicochemical alterations. Samples were taken 4 times (0 as control and 3 time points during training, every 9th day) from all fish. In the nitrogenous serum compounds the training protocol increased albumin and oxidized glutathione concentration at time point 3, while neither total protein, nor creatinine reacted to swimming. From the lipid metabolites triacylglycerol provided higher values at time point 3. Total and HDL cholesterol concentrations were unaltered, meanwhile the HDL percentage in the total cholesterol fraction provided an ageassociated increase and a significantly lower final value in the trained group. Within enzymes aspartate and Alanine Aminotransferase (AST and ALT) provided markedly higher activity values at time point 3. Gamma-GT, pseudo cholinesterase, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) showed no significant changes induced by regular swimming. In the serum ions training exerted temporary hypokalemic and hypocalcemic effect (time point 2), while sodium, inorganic phosphate and magnesium were unaffected by exercise. Both groups showed an ageassociated increase in the serum sodium concentrations. It was assumed that even longer term regular submaximal, but exhaustive exercise exerts only mild effect on the substrate metabolism of carp, a slowly swimming (with burstlike movements) benthic feeder.