Exercise: Not only good for you, but good for hamsters too

By: Emily Hammond

Hamsters are a well-loved house pet for many, their cute small size attracting many people. While these little creatures are small, they do need exercise and spend a lot of time exploring. A study done by Malgorzata Jefimow and Anna S. Przybviska-Piech from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland examined hamsters and questioned how their body processes changed if provided enrichment. An animal’s resting metabolic rate is the amount of energy it takes to sustain only its most basic bodily functions as the animal is not being active. Enrichment is when you enhance or improve the quality of something, so providing objects that allow animals to exercise mentally or physically at their own will. To study the resting metabolic rate of the hamsters, they measured how much oxygen is consumed in captive hamsters to determine if having access to proper enrichment can alter their resting metabolic rate. All living things have metabolism, which is the amount of energy that we use over time so our bodies can function. A higher resting metabolic rate determines that the animal will need more food to sustain its body to replace energy it is using, which is important to researchers and pet owners.

To determine if enrichment increases the resting metabolic rate of these little creatures, Malgorzata and Anna had an army of 70 hamsters, divided evenly into male and females. Some of these hamsters, who are litter mates, were housed together to see if socialization would have any effect. Other hamsters were housed alone, which is the preferred living arrangement for this little rodent. Since hamsters live on a seasonal cycle, summer and winter, the researchers made sure to account for this by changing the amount of light these animals would get daily. In the simulated winter, they simulated short days and long nights. In simulated summer conditions, they had long days and short nights. Since hamsters are nocturnal, having longer nights might increase the energy they use as they are doing more exploring and have to stay warm, increasing their metabolic rate! The next part of their experiment included dividing the hamsters into four groups and changing what they had access to. The restricted access was to the size of the cage, whether they got a running wheel or not and if they got nesting materials. To measure how much energy the hamsters are using while at rest, the researchers measured oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. These measurements indicate their resting metabolic rate because animals use oxygen to produce energy and exhale carbon dioxide because of this production.

At the end of the experiment, there was only one factor that influenced the resting metabolic rate of hamsters. The researchers found that the hamsters that had running wheels had a higher resting metabolic rate, which means that they were stronger and healthier. Their bodies need more energy as they have more muscles to work and are stronger. The researchers found that hamsters that lived with a buddy had a lower resting metabolic rate, as they could cuddle and didn’t need to burn so much energy to stay warm. They concluded that enrichment is important for hamsters, it allows them to be more themselves and show their little personalities. When it comes to research, hamsters probably don’t need as much enrichment, as it might mess up some results depending on what researchers are looking for.

With a further understanding of these fuzzy friends, it helps researchers be able to fully understand these animals without results becoming skewed. Future studies can now take into account that it may or may not be beneficial to provide enrichment to their hamster candidates. To get the best results in a study, it is important to not have factors that can favor certain results and mess up the discovery. For pet owners, giving your hamsters some activities are great for their brains to get exercise too, improving their life and making for a more enjoyable pet. Hamsters are just like us; they are happier and healthier if they have some exercise and aren’t bored all the time!

Jefimow, M., Przybylska-Piech, A.S. (2022). Housing conditions modify seasonal changes in basal metabolism and body mass of the Siberian hamster, Phodopus sungorus. Journal of Comparative Physiology B. 192, 512-526.