BASAL ENERGY METABOLISM AND CREATININE IN THE URINE

Abstract

In a previous communication,¹ one of us reported simultaneous measurements of the rate of excretion of creatinine and of total heat production in an attempt to clarify some of the difficulties an investigator encounters when dealing with the basal metabolism of children of unusual body build. It has been established that the rate of excretion of creatinine can be used as a measure of the active protoplasmic mass, because it is generally accepted to be an index or measure of the weight of the body musculature.² The muscles represent a predominant and nearly constant proportion of the total active protoplasmic mass in the body. In another study, based on 37 lean, normal, obese and emaciated children,^2a we have shown that there may be marked variations in the amount of musculature in children of the same weight but of different body build. The weight of muscles as calculated