Naturally, in the case of these men the gain in strength recorded cannot be assigned to systematic training. The only change in their mode of living which can in any sense be considered as responsible for the improvement is the change in diet. The main fact to be emphasized, however, is that these men—trained athletes, accustomed to living on relatively large amounts of proteid food—for a period of five months reduced their intake of proteid food more than fifty per cent without loss of bodily strength, but, on the contrary, with a marked improvement in their muscular power.
Most striking is this gain in strength when compared with the very marked decline in the rate of proteid metabolism. Thus, in the case of Jacobus, the excretion of metabolized nitrogen was reduced to 7.43 grams per day as the average for the last two months of the experiment, yet his strength test showed an increase from 4548 in January to 5667 for June. Further, it must be recalled that an excretion of 7.43 grams of nitrogen means the metabolism of only 46.4 grams of proteid matter. Similarly, in the case of Donahue, a very active man whose work on the Varsity basket-ball team called for vigorous exercise, his strength test rose from 4584 to 5917 on a daily diet which led to the metabolism of only 7.39 grams of nitrogen per day, or about 46 grams of proteid matter. Further, Donahue frequently referred to the far greater freedom from fatigue he experienced on the low proteid diet, and he was clearly conscious of a distinct improvement in his physical condition.
W. L. ANDERSON BELLIS
Photographs taken prior to the experiment.
The following letter from Dr. Anderson, the Director of the Yale Gymnasium, gives his estimate of the men at the end of the first three months of the experiment:
