Increase in oxygen consumption induced by selective spinal cord cooling in the exercising pigeon

Six domestic pigeons with chronically implanted spinal thermodes were exercised on a treadmill at neutral ambient temperature. During the exercise the spinal cord was cooled to 34.7±0.4°C (mean±S.E.M.). Oxygen consumption of the pigeons increased from 28.3 ±2.1 to 61.2±3.7 ml·min^–1·kg^–1 due to exercise per se, and superimposed cooling of the spinal cord during exercise induced an additional increase in oxygen consumption to 84.9±4.5 ml·min^–1·kg^–1. The result demonstrates that cooling of the spinal cord elicits shivering in exercising pigeons at thermoneutral conditions.