Men in training for athletic events deem it necessary to consume large
amounts of proteid food. Great muscular activity, it is true, calls for
the expenditure of corresponding amounts of energy, but it is by no
means clear that the energy so liberated comes from the breaking down of
proteid material. Indeed, there is more reason for believing that the
energy of muscular contraction comes primarily from the oxidation of
non-nitrogenous matter. Nevertheless, 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. For the development of new muscle tissue,
to make two muscle fibres where before only one existed, to increase the
number of available fibres, thereby adding to the bulk of the active
tissue, a certain amount of proteid food is absolutely necessary, just as
it is for all active tissues and organs of the body. But that this fact
constitutes a satisfactory reason for the daily use of such quantities
of proteid food as usually enter into the diet of the average athlete is
very questionable.
As an illustration of the character of the diet frequently made use of
by men doing prolonged muscular work, I may quote a few figures from an
article by Professor W. O. Atwater[41] and H. C. Sherman on “The effect
of severe and prolonged muscular work upon Food consumption, Digestion,
and Metabolism,” in which are recorded observations made upon several
professional bicycle riders during a six-day race. On one day subject
“M” rode 334.1 miles, consuming for food on that day meat extract, 311
grams; milk, 4937 grams; bread, 35 grams; boiled cereals, 877 grams;
pastry, 142 grams; sugar, 53 grams; fruit, 2003 grams. His urine for the
day contained 46.2 grams of nitrogen, corresponding to the metabolism
of 288.7 grams of proteid matter. Subject “A” on one day rode 352.7
miles, taking as food, meat, 149 grams; meat extract, 24 grams; broth,
283 grams; eggs, 369 grams; butter, 78 grams; milk, 142 grams; malted
milk, 78 grams; jelly, 213 grams; soup, 191 grams; bread, 361 grams;
boiled cereal, 532 grams; sugar, about 400 grams; fruit, 933 grams;
cocoa wine, 198 grams. His day’s urine contained 39.0 grams of nitrogen,
corresponding to the metabolism of 243.7 grams of proteid material.
Obviously, if such high proteid metabolism as these figures imply is a
necessary concomitant of vigorous or excessive muscular activity, then
a rich proteid diet is needed to make good the loss of nitrogen to the
body; but we are more inclined to believe that the large quantity of
nitrogen excreted was the result chiefly of the high proteid ration, and
only in small measure connected with the work done. With a sufficiency
of non-nitrogenous food, the energy of muscular contraction does not
come in any large degree from the breaking down of proteid matter, and
there would seem to be no adequate reason for assuming a necessity for
such rich and excessive proteid diet as athletes in training ordinarily
adopt. Yet the contrary view is almost universally held and followed. As
a prominent trainer said to the writer not long ago, “if the men are not
fed on a rich meat diet and plenty of it, they will grow soft and lose
their strength.”
With a view to testing some of these points and thereby broaden the scope
of the investigation and enhance the value of the study, a group of eight
students in the University, all trained athletes, was secured. These men
volunteered to aid in the study, and at considerable self-sacrifice gave
intelligent and hearty co-operation in all ways possible. The men were
under observation from January 15, 1904, to the middle of June, 1904, a
period of five months. From January 15 the urine was collected daily,
and for a period of ten days the regular diet of the men was adhered to
without any deviation whatever, with a view to ascertaining the extent of
the proteid metabolism characteristic of each individual. No restrictions
whatever in diet were suggested, but the ordinary food that the men were
accustomed to eat while in training was taken. After this period the men
were instructed to diminish somewhat the intake of proteid food, and in
following out this plan most of the men diminished quite appreciably
the quantity of food consumed at breakfast time, and in some cases
stopped taking food of any kind at breakfast other than a cereal, with
possibly coffee. No specific diet was imposed, but the men, being willing
collaborators in the experiment, gradually cut down the intake of proteid
food, diminishing likewise in considerable measure the total volume of
food for the twenty-four hours.
[Illustration: STAPLETON
_Photograph taken in the middle of the experiment, in April._]
The following brief description of the men, taken from Dr. Anderson’s
report of their physical condition, to be referred to later, will suffice
to make clear the characteristics (as athletes) of these subjects of
study:
Mr. G. W. Anderson is a foot-ball, base-ball, and basket-ball player, as
well as a crew man (not Varsity). Well built and an all round athlete.
26.5 years of age.
Mr. W. L. Anderson, a “Y” athlete (hurdler), the captain of the Yale
Gymnastic Team, University Gymnastic Champion, and American Collegiate
Gymnastic Champion. 21.5 years of age.
Mr. H. S. Bellis, a member of the Y. G. A., a gymnast and acrobat and in
constant training. 26 years of age.
Dr. W. H. Callahan, Medical Assistant at the Gymnasium, in daily practice
in the gymnasium; bowling, hand-ball, and running. 27 years of age.
Mr. M. Donahue, a very muscular and versatile athlete, a foot-ball player
and a Varsity basket-ball player. 25 years of age.
Mr. C. S. Jacobus, a “Y” athlete, a noted long-distance man, and one of
the best University runners. 22.3 years of age.
Mr. H. R. Schenker, an active member of the Y. G. A., a point winner and
intercollegiate competitor in gymnastics. 22 years of age.
Mr. John Stapleton, a wrestler and gymnast. A professional, a man of
large body and great strength. 24 years of age.
The results of the daily study of the twenty-four hours’ urine of
each man for the entire period of five months are to be found in
the accompanying tables. By a careful inspection of these data many
interesting facts are brought to light. First it is to be observed, in
harmony with what has already been stated regarding athletes, that the
men, as a rule, were accustomed to the taking of large amounts of proteid
food daily. Thus, during the preliminary period of ten days, Dr. Callahan
excreted through the kidneys 22.79 grams of nitrogen as the daily
average, corresponding to the metabolism of 142 grams of proteid matter
per day, while on one day the nitrogen excretion reached the high figure
of 31.99 grams, corresponding practically to the metabolism of 200 grams
of proteid material.
G. W. Anderson, during the preliminary period of ten days—on his ordinary
diet—showed an average daily excretion of 17.18 grams of nitrogen. W.
L. Anderson in this same period excreted on an average 18.22 grams of
nitrogen per day, while on one day the excretion reached 23.42 grams
of nitrogen. Bellis showed an average daily excretion of 17.64 grams
of nitrogen during this same fore period, while Stapleton excreted
nitrogen at an average rate of 19.7 grams per day, thus indicating an
average daily metabolism of 123 grams of proteid matter on his ordinary
diet. With such data before us it is quite clear that we have here, as
expected, a group of sturdy men accustomed to the taking of large amounts
of proteid food daily; men who clearly believed that their strength and
bodily vigor depended in large measure upon the ingestion and utilization
of these quantities of proteid food.
After the termination of this preliminary period, the men began to
diminish the amount of albuminous food. In doing this they were at
first given perfect freedom, each man following his own preferences,
and making such alterations in his diet as he saw fit. The men were
instructed as to the chemical composition of the various foodstuffs,
so that they had a general idea of what foods were rich in nitrogen
and could act accordingly. Some of the men cut down their intake of
proteid food very rapidly, others made more gradual reduction. Some soon
eliminated breakfast almost entirely. Others reduced the amount of food
at each meal. Some of the men eliminated meat almost completely from
their diet, and increased largely the intake of vegetable food. They were
all advised, however, not to make too sudden a change in their diet, but
to adopt a gradual reduction in the daily food as being less liable to
disturb their physiological equilibrium. Naturally, the men knew exactly
how much of a reduction in proteid food they were accomplishing each
week, from the results of the chemical analysis of the urine. Further,
the record of body-weight furnished evidence of how far the changes
in diet were affecting body equilibrium, while their own feelings and
ability to do their daily work constituted a check upon a too radical
change in living. Careful perusal of the tables will show how far
body-weight was changed, and to how great an extent proteid metabolism
was reduced during the five months of the experiment.