Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-27


toned TO living a vigorous life under vary
ing conditions and who naturally had "a
great liking for the pleasures of eating
During the first two weeks tho ordinary
army rations were given to the mon, later
a gradual change was made, accompanied
by a reduction I'm the amount OF proteid
food with some reduction likewise i'm the
total fun value Of the food. At no time
were tlc men placed ON a cereal diet or ON
a truly vegetable diet.
The object in view was simply 10 study
the possibilities OF a general physiological
economy in diet with special reference
to the minimal protcid requirement OF the
healthy man. To he sure. In doing this.
meats. owing to their high content Of
protcid. were very much reduced in amount.
and on many days no meat at all was
given. but the main change was from a
heavy meat dietrich I'm proloid- to a
lighter diet comparatively poor In protcid
with an increasing "predominance Of vegc-
table and cereal foods.
"That there is no need Of a daily dict
containing 11S grams Of proteid food seems
fairly indicated. The members of the
soldier detachment lived without discom-
fort for a period Of five months on amounts
OF proteid food not more than one-half that
called for by the ordinary standard Diet
aries, and this without increasing the
amount Of neutrality-suspicious. food.
Result of the Test.
Body weight, nitrogen equilibrium,
physical strength and vigor. ability to re-
spond to seusory stimulation, the compost
tion and general condition of the blood all
remained ]unimpaired under a diet with a
fuel value of less than $500 calorics per
day.
Further, the practice Of such economy
led to marked improvement in the work
ing of the neuro-muscular machinery, the
men were less conscious of fatigue than
formerly and could do more work without
fatigue.
And it is a remarkable and suggestive
fact that when a person has once practiced
physiological economy in his diet suG-
ficiently long for 1t to have become in a
measure a habit he has no desire to return
to "A fuller dietary rich in proteid matter;
both body and mind are fully satisfied with
the smaller amounts Of food"
Here is a sample days bill of fare for
the soldiers:
BREAKFAST.
Boiled Indian meal, $50 grams; milk, 12l
grams; sugar, 30 grams; coffee, 1 cupA
baked potato, 100 grams; butter, 10 grams.
DINNER.
Clam chowder with onions, potatoes and
tomatoes, 200 grams; bread, 70 grams;
mashed potatoes, 100 grams; coffee, l cup.
SUPPER.
Apple %fritters, 200 grams; jam, IS grams;
tea, l cup; gingerbread, 80 grams.
Diet for Athletes.
In regard to his experiments with the
third group Prof. Chittenden says: Men
in training for athletic events deem 1t
necessary to consume large amounts Of
proteid food. Custom and long experience
sanction a high proteid diet composed
largely of meat or Of other foodstuffs rich
in nitrogen for the development of that
vigor and strength that go to make the
accomplished athlete. But the daily use
Of such quantities of p%roteid food as usu-
ally enter into the diet of the average ath-
lete is very questionable"
The subjects were the best athletes ~
all lines that Yale could produce. In re-
gard to the experimentation Prof. Chitten-
den says:
1T is quite evident from a study Of the
results obtained in the foregoing expert
ments that young, vigorous men Of the
type under observation, trained in athlet-
les, accustomed to the doing Of vigorous
muscular work, can satisfy all the true
physiological needs Of their bodies and
maintain their physical strength and vigor
as well as their capacity for mental work
with an amount of protcid food equal to
one-half or one-third that ordinarily con
sumed by men of this stamp, 1t is clear
that physiological economy in nutrition Is
as safe for men in athletics as for men
not accustomed to vigorous exercise.
The athlete, as well as the less active
man physically, or the professional man,
can meet all his ordinary requirements
with an intake of proteid food far below
the quantities generally consumed, an. this
increasing in any measure the
amount of non-nitrogenous food"