Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-04-12
COLLEGE MUSCLE.
Uncle Sam Seek. Suitable Diet and
Analyses Foods Consumed by.
Harvard and Yale Crews.

~. . i 8 II
The government has interested it,
self in study Of the muscular evolu-
ton of the American college youth,
and some surprising things have been
found out by systematic observation
of the young men composing the uni
versity boat crews of Yale and Har-
ward. One of the most notable points
ascertained relates to the great loss
of weight which a rowing man" suf-
fers in race. It was found that
some of the men had lost as little as
two pounds, but this was the mini
mum, the bow oarsman dropping
81 pounds. The average loss was
2% pounds exactly, and it was due
chiefly to water and to carbonic acid
given out from their body in breath
ing.
Another interesting phenomenon,
not so easy to account for, is what
the government experts have chosen
to call the preliminary loss" This
takes place during the "a hours i'm
mediately preceding the muscular eff
fort, and seemingly it is due to nerv-
body secretions. Before a time row
this loss amounts to three-quarters of
pound, while just before race it
double that much, or 1h pounds.
Training for football Or rowing
contest ordinarily lasts from six to
ten weeks. The object of it is to re-
duce the fat and water in the tissues
of the body, to increase the activity
| of the muscles, and to educate both
muscles and nerves so that they will
respond readily to call upon them
| for exertion; also to improve the
wind" and to better the condition
| of the skin. Sugar was only sparing-
| ly allowed to the men of the Harvard
and Yale crews, although a theory is
now gaining ground to the effect that
| large quantities of this substance may
be proftably added to the rations of
| athletes, soldiers or others engaged
| in active muscular exertion. Indeed,
! it is now added to the diet of boat
clubs in Holland while training for
races. The experts say that sugar
| is admirable as a ''fuel food,' and pre-
sumably this fact has something to
| do with it's suitableness for the pur-
pose described.
When the object of training is the
| attainment of special skill in balanc-
ing, nerve stimulants, such as tea and
coffee, are forbidden. Light wine and
beer are allowed in moderation At
| Harvard and Yale no limit is set on
the quantity of food to be eaten, and
the diet is much more liberal in va
riety than was formerly the case.
Sweets, rich buildings, sour pickles,
condiments and entrees are barred.
On the other hand, the training man
is recommended to indulge ad libitum
in rare meat, chicken, toast, potatoes
and fresh vegetables, with fruits only
in moderation.
In studying the foods consumed by
the Harvard and Yale crews the ex-
perts, by the help of chemical alRaly-
sis, divided the material consumed
into protein (stuf that makes muscle
and blood), fat, sugar and starch. AS
a result of their studies it was found
that the average rowing man con-
sumed each day 1856 grams of protein,
III grams of fat, and 44o grams of
sugar and starch. The ''fuel value
of this per diem allowance was 4,0s5
calorics. Of course, human being is
much like any other machine in re-
spect to requirement Of fuel to keep
the body going, and the above, will
be perfectly clear when it is explained
that ''calorie" is the amount of en-
ergy required to raise one pound of
water four degrees Fahrenheit
Y. Herald.