Diet, Quantity of Food, The Weight Chart

The increased energy metabolism in muscular exercise must be supported by an equivalent increase in energy supply. If the demand exceeds the supply, body tissues are consumed in the course of the activity. The depletion of body tissues impairs the functions of the organs of which these tissues are a part. Furthermore, physical efficiency is lower when body tissues are used as fuels for activity than when the fuels are supplied by the foodstuffs in an adequate diet.

Quantity of Food

The quantity of food required by active men varies to such an extent among the individuals in a group and also in a single individual from day to day that the establishment of a standard dietary requirement for a group or an individual would be meaningless. The total daily energy requirement for an active man may range from 3000 to 8000 Calories, depending upon his size and physical condition and the severity of the work performed each day. An experiment on rats 1 demonstrates some of the variables which affect the daily energy requirement. Twelve female albino rats from four to twelve months old were observed while quantatitive variations in activity, food intake and environmental temperature were induced. When activity was increased, the weight decreased if food intake was constant. When the food intake was increased, there was an increase in body weight when activity was constant. When environmental temperature was increased, there was a decrease in body weight when activity was constant. The quantity of food required to support increased physical activity and environmental stress is soon indicated by alterations in body weight.

The Weight Chart

The weight chart is very useful in estimating the caloric requirement of a season of athletic training. It may also be used effectively in programs of weight control in which an individual is attempting to gain or lose weight in order to attain a more desirable proportion of fat to muscle. In all of these charts, nude weights are recorded every day before breakfast. Weights are measured in the nude to exclude variations in the weight of the clothing. They are recorded every, day before breakfast so that the individual may reduce or increase his food intake during that day in accordance with the posttion of the weight he has plotted on the chart. This act also serves as a frequent and timely reminder of the task at hand. After only a few days the individual keeping the weight chart will observe the rate of change in weight as a result of changes in food intake. He then evaluates each item of food in relation to the caloric requirement for maintaining the daily amount of activity. A sensible program of weight control will plan for an increase or decrease of about one pound weekly. Extremely overweight and underweight individuals may plan for slightly greater rates of change, but weight loss should not exceed two pounds per week.