Two different open-circuit techniques of measuring metabolic rate were examined in rats at rest and during exercise. With one technique ambient air was drawn through a tightly fitting mask that was secured to the rat's head, whereas with the other technique the rat was placed into and ambient air was drawn through a Plexiglas box. Two series of experiments were performed. In series I, two groups were studied that consisted of rats that had received myocardial infarctions produced by coronary arterial ligations and rats that had received sham operations. In this series of experiments O2 uptake (VO2) and CO2 production (VCO2) were measured at rest, during four levels of submaximal exercise, and during maximal treadmill exercise in the same group of rats by use of both techniques in random order. VO2, VCO2, and the calculated respiratory exchange ratio (R) were similar at rest, during the highest level of submaximal exercise (20% grade, 37 m/min), and during maximal exercise; however, VO2 and VCO2 were significantly lower with the metabolic box technique compared with the mask technique during the three lowest work loads (5% grade, 19 m/min; 10% grade, 24 m/min; and 15% grade, 31 m/min). These differences appeared to be associated with a change in gait produced when the mask was worn. In series II, the arterial blood gas and acid-base responses to both submaximal and maximal exercise were measured using both techniques in a group of instrumented rats that had a catheter placed into the right carotid artery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)