Sporting Diet by Carl Diem

V. Investigations History Vegetarianism and athletic performances had played their parts in directing the attention of science to the subject of sporting diet, and a long series of scientific experiments and observations was initiated. Caspari in 1902 made exact comparative calculations concerning two long distance walkers, of whom one was a strict vegetarian and the other an adherent to a mixed diet. There were many opportunities at the American universities for scientific tests. Flint and Pavy analyzed the performances and the diet of Weston, who adhered to mixed foods and who walked a distance of 93 miles on two consecutive days. Atwater and Sherman investigated the food of the two best American six day cyclists. Chittenden at Yale University carried out in 1902 a test on scholars, soldiers and athletes which lasted between 5 and 6 months. The cyclists consumed food containing between 4000 and 5000 calories, but the scholars were allowed 2000, the students 2730 and the soldiers 2800 with a daily ration of between fifty and sixty six grammes of albumin. Weight decreased as a result of this nutrition, but health and performance both increased. The same difference in calories, the deviation of 2800 to 4800, was later demonstrated by Memmo (according to Atzler) among the Allied troops during the World War I: Albumin Fat Starch Total caloin gr in gr in gr ries in gr 1) Italians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 38 469 2797 2) Canadians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 118 344 2946 3) English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 136 419 3483 4) French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 98 467 3604 5) Americans (active service) . . . . . . . . . . 129 136 545 3998 6) Americans (garrison) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 174 643 4859 These differences prove that there is as yet no firmly established doctrine governing the diet of soldiers and athletes. The most that can be deduced from the many tests collected and compared by Heupke, Metzner, Schenk and others in the Munich Weekly Medical Gazette (Münchner Medizinische Wochenschrift), (No. 38, 1936 and No.19, 1938) is that many results contradict one another and that the question is extraordinarily complicated. Next: A glance at the practical side Sporting Diet Primitive Peoples The founder's era in sport Vegetarianism Investigations History A glance at the practical side New dietetics for the man under exertion New dietetics for the man under exertion - Diet and Performance Different types of diet