The Washington times., 1922-07-09
Scientific Experine
When You Swim,
Your Body Energies
! ! Increase Seven
Times Above Your
Resting Record

cAdCtty why yOuT NdCdtlOu uOCc yOu SOOu.
1t needs no argument to prove to most
people that a vacation does do them good.
The interesting points are to know Just
why It benefits them. how the good effects
are produced and what forms of recrea-
ton give the best results. The investiga-
tors have found many interesting facts
upon these points.
The scientists tested the metabolism-
that is. the heat and energy production
of men and women under the following
conditions: 1. Resting in a laboratory
cabinet. 2. Resting on the sea shore. 3.
Walking on the sea shore fully clothed.
4, Walking on the sea shore in a bathing
suit. 5. Playing golf. 6. Playing tennis.
Z. Padding or wading in the sea. 8.
Swimming.
The exercises that Increased metabcl-
ism most are shown in the above list in
the order of their effectiveness from No
3to No. 8.
The most striking fact brought out was
that swimming increased metabolism
seven times in most cases over the rest
ing metabolism and was the best exercise
OF all. When a subject was merely rest
ing on the sea shore. the mere effect of
the sea air caused his metabolism to jump
TO twice what it had been in the expert
mental cabinet.
Walking in a bathing suit --oduced
twice the energy that walking in complete
clothes did. When a man played golf his
bodily strength rose to one and a half
times what 1t was when he was walking
in a bathing suit.
Tennis Is evidently a much more vio
lent exercise than golf, but the metabol
ism was only one-third more than in the
latter sport. 1t was interesting to note
that the simple exercise of padding or
wading in the sea called forth more bodily
because wading calls for great exertion,
while the salt water on the legs and feet
has very stimulating effect.
The experiments were mainly conduct
ed by DR.. Leonard Hill. director of Ap-
piled Physiology and Hygiene of the
Medical Research Council of Great Brit
ain, and DR.. J. Argyll Campbell, of the
curious experiments showing that foul air
is not very unhealthy to breathe, If 1t is
cool, moist and kept in motion, and for
his practical discoveries about ventilation.
DR.. Hill also showed by experiments
that mountain air was less beneficial as
q rule than sea air, because 1t was def
cient In oxygen and called for more effort
In breathing.
The latest experiments on seaside air
l..
and women students at q resort on the
coast of Scotland. One Of the principal
objects was to find out what exercises
and conditions had the best effecIs in
promoting metabolism, which is the pro-
cess by which the body transforms food
stuffs into energy and tissue.
When the metabolism increases greatly
II is a sign that health is for the time
being good, otherwise the body forces
lating conditions II muscular exertion Is
carried beyond endurance 1t does not in
crease metabolism, but stops it.
To begin with, observations were taken
Of the metabolism of four men at rest two
to four hours after breakfast. They were
tested after they had been sitting for half
an hour in the open air or in q shed on
the beach.
The results showed that the digestive
power, energy and general metabolism OF
these four men was on the average "a per
cent higher than 1t was when tested in a
laboratory in the city. The subjects
breathed into a portable calorimeter
called q Douglas bag which registers the
amount Of air taken in, the contents of
the air breathed out, the heat produced
and thus shows how the stomach and in
tefnal organs have been producing heat
and energy.
The calorimeter is q chamber designed
to show the amount Of heat produced by
an animal or man shut up in it. The
amount of heat produced by burning a
certain quantity Of meat, fat and starchy
foods equals the amount OF heat given of
by an animal that has eaten the same
quantity of food. The quantity of oxygen
used up also shows the amount OF food
digested.
Hence the life Of the body can be
measured as heat by the deliaate instru.
ments Of the calorimeter.
A model calorimeter-was A. 81 construct
ed by Professor Rubner, OF Germany,
which could accurately measure the
amount Of heat q dog produced In twenty
four hours. The dog was placed within
the chamber Of the calorimeter and this
chamber was attached to a respiration ap-
paratus, so that the metabolism could be
calculated.
Following Rubner, Professor Atwater.