Dietary self-selection of golden hamsters in response to acute food deprivation and chronic food restriction

Adult male golden hamsters were maintained on either Purine Rat Chow (Chow diet) or a self-selection diet consisting of high-protein chow, pure fat, and pure carbohydrate (Choice diet). In Experiment 1, animals were deprived of food for single periods of up to 48 hr. Animals on the Chow diet did not increase intake at any time after deprivation; animals on the Choice diet selectively increased their consumption of fat-derived calories and increased their total caloric intake during the first 6 hr of refeeding, but not thereafter. The nature of the diet did not influence the rate at which animals regained weight following deprivation. In Experiment 2, hamsters were placed on food-restriction schedules (access to food either for 1 hr/day only or on alternate days only) until they lost 20% of starting body weight. Chow-fed animals demonstrated little or no change in food intake either during or after food restriction. Hamsters on the Choice diet consumed more calories and lost weight more slowly than did chow-fed animals during 1-hr/day feeding; intake of fat-derived calories was elevated during restriction. Choice hamsters increased total caloric intake only towards the end of the alternate-days restriction schedule. Choice hamsters were hyperphagic following both types of food-restriction schedules, but no increased preference for fat-derived calories was observed. Factors influencing food consumption of hamsters in response to deprivation and restriction are discussed.