Food Requirements and Weight Changes of Men on Antarctic Expeditions.
نویسنده
چکیده
In the comparatively short history of Antarctic exploration the scourges of scurvy and semi-starvation have played as important a part in the success or failure of expeditions as have the hazards of exposure and accident. Studies have recently been made of the mechanisms that might be involved in man's physiological response to polar conditions (Lewis & Masterton, 1963). These have included routine measurements of body-weight, skinfold thickness and energy balance, which have helped in evaluating the nutritional requirements of men working in polar regions, On the British North Greenland Expedition (BNGE, 1952-4) Lewis, Masterton & Rosenbaum (1960) found an overall increase of 1-5 kg in body-weight during I year with marked seasonal fluctuation. Estimates of food intake on the same expedition showed that men were eating 3000-4000 kcallday at the base camp but also showed that an intake of 4800 kcal/man daily was insufficient to maintain calorie balance in men who were sledging (Masterton, Lewis & Widdowson, 1957). On the NorwegianBritish-Swedish Expedition (NBSE, 1 9 4 p p ) ~ Wilson (1960) noticed a similar weight increase of 3 kg over z years, with seasonal variations. Milan & Rodahl(1961) studied the calorie balance of International Geophysical Year scientists and US naval personnel working in the Antarctic. They showed differences in daily calorie intake between 3400 and 4900 kcal/man depending on the time of year and the activity of the men. They also recorded an overall increase in body-weight, and showed that it could be accounted for by a calorie intake in excess of energy expenditure. It is now generally agreed that seasonal fluctuations in weight and skinfold thickness reflect the activity patterns of men involved in strenuous outdoor activity during the summer but remaining relatively inactive during the winter; this has been confirmed by Goldsmith (1959)) who showed no seasonal variation in the men of the advance party of the Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition who were forced by circumstances to work out-of-doors on restricted rations throughout the polar winter. It has been noticed on several occasions that men have lost weight during sledging journeys and have rapidly regained it on return to base. Usually it has been assumed that such sudden changes in weight could only be accounted for by changes in fluid balance. Massey (1956) demonstrated a mean weight loss of 5 kg in nine men after sledge journeys lasting from 30 to 85 days on diets yielding 4100 kcal/man daily. During the 1st day after returning to base there was an average increase of 1.4 kg with a further increase of 1'4 kg by the 5th day. Massey found parallel changes in skinfold
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ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- The British journal of nutrition
دوره 19 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 1965