ENERGY FOR MAINTENANCE. 289 



picture for Pec is reasonably clear. It is not impossible that the 

 latter's age (44 years) may have had an effect upon the energy require- 

 ment, for we know that the older a man is the greater the tendency is 

 towards a lower basal metabolism. Averaging the values for the 12 

 men, we have an average value of 1,967 net calories for maintenance 

 at the lower weight-level, i. e., in round numbers, 1,950 net calories. 



The significance of this low figure is perhaps best emphasized when 

 one refers to the probable caloric requirement for weight maintenance 

 prior to dietetic restriction . For this we have two sources of information : 

 (1) the nitrogen balance (see tables 46 to 58, pp. 312 to 341) and (2 )the 

 summary in table 35 of the net caloric intake in the so-called ''normal 

 diet" from October 1 to 4; this intake averaged not far from 3,100 

 calories. If we examine the nitrogen in the food for these days, also 

 given in table 35, it is clear that the amounts of food taken by these 

 men were not the amounts normally taken by them. In the first 

 place, they could not consciously have selected so uniform a nitrogen 

 intake as they actually showed. In the second place, Chef Hall, 

 who was very observant, pointed out to us that the men in Squad A 

 in the normal-diet period of October 1 to 4 showed less appetite for 

 their food than previously. On the first return of the college students 

 in the autumn, they usually eat with great appetite, as the food is new 

 to them and they enjoy it very much. There is then a period, usually 

 of a week or ten days, when there seems to be a distinct slackening in 

 the appetite, this actually having an effect upon the purchase and 

 preparation of food in the kitchen. Subsequently they return to their 

 normal appetite and food intake. It was our misfortune to have 

 selected this period of low appetite in which to study the normal diet 

 of these men. Mr. Hall's observation seems to be fully verified by 

 the results of a study with a control squad on normal diet November 

 20 to 24, which are given in table 32 (p. 268). On 5 days 12 men 

 showed an average energy intake of 4,104 gross calories per day. 

 Deducting approximately 8 per cent, or 328 calories, for the energy 

 outgo in urine and feces, we have 3,776 calories as the average net 

 calories available for this period. 



An inspection of the data for the calories in feces and urine for the 

 first three days of October in the several balance tables (pp. 312 to 341) 

 shows that the estimate of 8 per cent for outgo in urine and feces is 

 not unreasonable. This would imply, therefore, that the normal food 

 requirement of the average undergraduate student in the Springfield 

 Y. M. C. A. College was, during the period of November 20 to 24, 

 when this control squad was studied, nearer 3,800 calories than 

 the 3,100 calories shown for Squad A in table 35. On the assumption 

 that the normal energy requirement is 3,800 calories, the average 

 caloric requirement of 1,950 calories found to hold the body-weight 

 at the lower level was thus a Uttle over one-half of the normal require- 



