Some Metabolic Effects of a High-Fat, High-Protein Diet during Semistarvation under Winter Field Conditions

Abstract

The performance of 10 subjects, living outside in a severely cold environment and subsisting on a daily intake of 1000 Cal. of either pemmican or pemmican + sugar was deemed adequate for most survival situations faced by aircrews in the Arctic. The fasting blood sugar levels of the subjects receiving sugar were significantly higher than those of subjects receiving pemmican only. The nitrogen balances of the subjects were not significantly affected by the isocaloric supplement of sugar. The 24-hour ketone body excretions of the subjects receiving sugar were somewhat less than those of subjects receiving no sugar. Sequential changes in the negative nitrogen balances and ketone body excretions were interpreted to mean that the experimental subjects were becoming adapted to a carbohydrate-free diet and caloric restriction.