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The Journal of Experimental Biology 204, 2683-2690 (2001)
© 2001 The Company of Biologists Limited

A sport-physiological perspective on bird migration: evidence for flight-induced muscle damage

Christopher G. Guglielmo^1,*, Theunis Piersma² and Tony D. Williams¹

¹ Centre for Wildlife Ecology and Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6 Canada,
² Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), PO Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands and Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, 9750, AA Haren, The Netherlands

*Author for correspondence at present address: Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA (e-mail: cgugliel{at}selway.umt.edu)

Accepted May 10, 2001

Exercise-induced muscle damage is a well-described consequence of strenuous exercise, but its potential importance in the evolution of animal activity patterns is unknown. We used plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity as an indicator of muscle damage to investigate whether the high intensity, long-duration flights of two migratory shorebird species cause muscle damage that must be repaired during stopover. In two years of study, plasma CK activity was significantly higher in migrating western sandpipers (a non-synchronous, short-hop migrant), than in non-migrants. Similarly, in the bar-tailed godwit (a synchronous, long-jump migrant), plasma CK activity was highest immediately after arrival from a 4000–5000km flight from West Africa to The Netherlands, and declined before departure for the arctic breeding areas. Late-arriving godwits had higher plasma CK activity than birds that had been at the stopover site longer. Juvenile western sandpipers making their first southward migration had higher plasma CK activity than adults. These results indicate that muscle damage occurs during migration, and that it is exacerbated in young, relatively untrained birds. However, the magnitude of the increases in plasma CK activity associated with migratory flight were relatively small, suggesting that the level of muscle damage is moderate. Migrants may avoid damage behaviourally, or have efficient biochemical and physiological defences against muscle injury.

Key words: bird, capture stress, creatine kinase, exercise, flight, migration, muscle damage, settling time, Calidris mauri, Limosa lapponica.

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