A LONG-TERM OBSERVATION ON BASAL METABOLISM AS AN INDEX OF ADAPTATION TO LIFE
- VernacularTitle:生活適応の指標としてみた基礎代謝の長期観察
- Author:
IKUO SATO
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine
1976;25(2):53-63
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
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Abstract:
This study deals with comparative physiological changes such as basal metabolism (BM) between two inhabitants of Hirosaki, a cold district in Japan. One of the matched male subjects was a permanent inhabitant while the other had immigrated from Tokushima, a warm district in Japan, half a month before.
From May 1969 to September 1970, body weight and physiological functions such as BM and others were measured every morning. Subjective estimations of their amount of work, dietary intake, the way they felt about the temperature on the previous day (temperature feeling), how fatigued they had felt when they got up (fatigue feeling), and how well they had slept (sleeping condition) were recorded by means of a five-grade scaling method. It was supposed that these factors would affect BM. The results were as follows:
1. Differences in the values of the above influencing factors on BM between the immigrant and the permanent inhabitant were large during the early period of experiment, but they diminished and almost the same values were obtained from October 1969, except in November. Differences in decending order between the subjects were found in temperature feeling, fatigue feeling and sleeping condition, while amount of work and dietary intake were not so different.
2. The changes of BM showed a pattern that had a peak during the hottest period in summer for both the immigrant and the permanent inhabitant from May to October 1969. It was possible that the difference in climate and geografical features affected the immigrant like a stress, and the high temperature and sports in summer affected the permanent inhabitant. However, after October 1969 there were differences in BM between the two subjects. The immigrant had a high BM during the warm period of spring, but the value was sharply lowered during the hottest period of summer. This change was quite different from that of the permanent inhabitant which followed the normal pattern.
3. R.Q. of the two subjects peaked highly in winter and lowly in summer. The values were a little higher for the permanent inhabitant than for the immigrant. Although the body weight of the immigrant increased a little in winter and decreased a little in summer, such a seasonal change was not observed for the permanent inhabitant.
4. The significant relationship between the average monthly atmospheric temperature and the monthly variation of BM from October 1969 to September 1970 was obtained for the permanent inhabitant. The critical atmospheric temperature, that raised and lowered his BM, was 9.8°C. The immigrant was found to have such a relationship only during the limited period between April and July.
5. The representative mean values of monthly BM, which were measured on one day in the middle of month, on three days during the same period, on sixdays, i.e. two days of each of the three ten-day periods, and on every day, were compared with one another. The values of the one- and three-day measurements were considerably different from those of the every day measurements in the months during which there were large climatic changes, such as April, June or September. These monthly changes were shown to be markedly different.
However, the values of the six-day measurements were similar to those of the every day measurements. It is supposed that at least six days are necessary for the measure-ment of BM during sudden changes of climate. But, it would be more desirable to increase the number of measurements to obtain more accurate data.
