The Impact of Low Caloric Feeding during Exercise

Chronic dieting or under nutrition, as observed during body weight reduction may have other deleterious effects. A combination of water and food restriction makes normal renal function even more difficult since it imposes increased demands for body waste elimination. This could result in a retention of urea and the development of uremia. Body weight loss must be made only at the expense of stored and excessive body fat and not water, since clinical damage (protein catabolism) can also occur. With calorie restriction below 1000 kcalorie/day, body fat and protein must be utilized as energy sources since the maintenance of normal blood carbohydrate levels require a known quantity of protein breakdown. Low antiketogenic diets with adequate mineral intakes can prevent ketosis, minimize protein catabolism, maintain fluid balance and decrease the electrolyte excretions. Short-term calorie restriction did not reduce performance in the endurance test even when the body glycogen stores should have been depleted. Maximal work capacities were also not impaired. The best restricted diet (short term 10-12 days) must contain a minimum of 1400 kcalories/day. It should be acceptable, one that the person enjoys eating, and should provide the daily allowances of all the essential vitamins and minerals. The diet must contain a minimum of 100 gm carbohydrate and the daily NRC protein allowances of 0.8 gm/kg body weight. (Author) Reprinted from NATO Conference on Food for the Armed Forces, 15-18 Oct 75. International Meeting (3rd), held at Army Natick Development Center, Natick, MA, Rept. No. NARADCOM-TR-76-42-OTD, AD-A022 648.