590 VITALITY AND EFFICIENCY WITH RESTRICTED DIET. 



hand. Squad A made their be t record at the second morning session, 

 November 11. Following this, the irregularity is not marked, and all 

 of the averages are definitely lower. There was somewhat of a rise 

 on the morning of February 3, probably assignable to the more or less 

 stimulating conditions at the close of the experiment, as the strength 

 of grip followed the walking and was the last test before the subject 

 broke training. 



The variabiUty in the strength of grip is shown in figures 109 and 110 

 for the evening and morning performance, respectively. Separate 

 curves are given 

 for the right and 

 left hands. There 

 appear no con- 

 spicuous differ- 

 ences between the 

 two squads in re- 

 lation to this fac- 

 tor. The varia- 

 bility value is al- 

 ways small, never 

 larger than 6 per 

 cent, even though 

 there is consid- 

 erable relative 

 fluctuation in its 

 size. The curves 

 cross and recross, 

 but in general 

 maintain the same 

 level. In the case 

 of the evening 

 records (fig. 109), 

 Squad A has relatively a large variability with the left hand on Octo- 

 ber 27 (6 per cent). Following this, the variability usually ranges 

 between 3 and 4 per cent. As the experiment continues, it tends 

 to decrease. This irregular decrease in the variability is found with 

 both squads and in both the evening and morning records, but is 

 more prominent in the former. The small variability found on May 

 21 (see fig. 109) is remarkable and in striking contrast to that for 

 October 27, the firs evening session, and for October 28, the first 

 morning session (see fig. 110), even though 2^ months intervened 

 between February 2 and May 21. 



In a strength test there are at least two conditions which favor 

 increased variability: (1) any changing interest or fluctuating atten- 

 tion in connection with the test ; (2) the extremeness of the muscular 



Fig. 109. — VariabiUty in the average strength of grip at evening 

 sessions. 



R and L designate values for right and left hands. 



