70 ENERGY TRANSFORMATIONS DURING HORIZONTAL WALKING. 



METABOLISM IN VARIOUS STANDING POSITIONS. 



With subject I no attempt was made to vary the character of the 

 standing experiment, but with subject II numerous observations were 

 made both with and without food and with the subject standing in 

 various positions. A large majority of the experiments, i. e., 53 experi- 

 ments, were made when the subject was standing quietly in a relaxed 

 position. Eight experiments were made with the subject standing in a 

 relaxed position, but resting the hands upon a staff. Eight experiments 

 were made with the subject leaning against a support, and finally 10 

 experiments were carried out with the man standing in the position 

 of "attention." Since later we noted that there was considerable 

 extraneous muscular activity incidental to walking at a rapid rate, 

 which consisted for the most part of vigorous arm-motion, two experi- 

 ments were made on May 11 and 15 in which the post-absorptive 

 metabolism was measured with the subject standing still but moving 

 his arms vigorously, simulating as nearly as possible the movement of 

 the arms in rapid walking. 



The results of the standing experiments with the subject in the post- 

 absorptive condition will first be considered and are given in table 10. 

 Since our interest is chiefly with the total heat-output, we may properly 

 compare the metabolism in the various standing positions upon this 

 basis. 



When the subject stood in a relaxed position, his heat output varied 

 from the very low value of 1.12 calories to 1.40 calories per minute, the 

 average value being 1.25 calories per minute. When he stood in a 

 relaxed position, but with his hands resting upon a staff, the average 

 heat-output was essentially the same as in the first position, namely, 

 1.26 calories per minute; but when he leaned against a support there 

 was a perceptible diminution in the heat-output, which then averaged 

 but 1.18 calories per minute. It is, however, somewhat irregular to 

 compare an average value for the relaxed position obtained from 26 

 experiments with the average values for other positions obtained from 

 only 3 experiments ; the slight changes in the metabolic level shown by 

 these averages are therefore probably without significance. Essen- 

 tially the same may be said of a comparison of the values obtained for 

 the relaxed position with those obtained for the position of attention 

 when the heat output increased only to 1.30 calories. Our general 

 impression was that this subject did not maintain, to any great degree, 

 a rigid position of " attention." From the foregoing comparison it is 

 clear that the experimental evidence does not warrant the deduction 

 that there is a measurable difference in the metabolism for any of the 

 various standing positions in which the metabolism was studied, such 

 as standing in a relaxed position, with the hands on a staff, with the 

 subject leaning against a support, or standing in the position of 

 "attention." 



