Near infrared spectroscopy has been used to determine the chemical composition of food stuffs, i, e., the protein, fat, and moisture content. Recently in the U. S. A, this technique was applied to the estimation of human body composition, and a portable instrument was developed. This study was designed to determine the prediction equation of body fat for Japanese people. 69 men and 52 women, aged 18 to 58 years, covering a wide range of percent fat levels, physiques, physical activity levels, had body fat estimated by hydrostatic weighing (HW), skinfold thicknesses (SF) and near infrared spectroscopy. Near infrared interactance spectra were measured on the anterior midline of the biceps halfway (between the anticubital fossa and acromion), the spectral data from which gave best correlation with HW and SF compared the other sites, using the wavelength of 947 nm. The spectral values and percent fat values obtained from HW about 1/2 of subjects were used to develop a prediction equation. This equation was then used to predict % body fat of the other 1/2 subjects. The correlation coefficient between % body fat as predicted by the near infrared method and as predicted by the HW technique was 0.88 (p<0.001, SEE=3.2) . This correlation value was similar to the value between % body fat as predicted by HW and as predicted by SF. In the American data, the correlation coefficients were higher when the other variables were added ; height, weight, age, but in the Japanese they did not almost change even when the other variables were added. There was not a difference between the spectra of right and left arm values. In the results, the prediction equation of % body fat for the Japanese population was determined as follows:
% body fat =54.14-29.47× (the spectral data at 947 nm) [r=0.88, p<0.001, SEE=3.2] (for right arm) .

Resting O₂ consumption following exercise at ventilatory threshold (VT) intensity was measured in order to investigate the magnitude and duration of excess post-exercise O₂ consumption in untrained men. Nine untrained males (mean age 24.8±1.5 years) exercised for one hour at VT intensity (58.2±1.7% of VO₂max) on a cycle ergometer, and then rested for 12 h sitting in a comfortable armchair (post-exercise) . On a separate day the subjects rested for 12 h but without preceding exercise (non-exercise) . O₂ uptake (VO₂) and heart rate (HR) were measured for 5 min every 30 min throughout the 12 h rest period and again at 24 h following the exercise. High-carbohydrate meals (carbohydrate 112.8±5.1 g, protein 9.7±0.4 g, fat 1.8±0.1 g) were given to the subjects at 2, 7 and 12 h following the exercise. The total energy intake per day was 1591.7±71.8 kcal. V0₂ and HR were significantly higher, and respiratory quotient (RQ) was significantly lower at most of the measured time-points for post-exercise than for non-exercise. Total energy consumption for the 12 h rest period was 957.3±25.5 kcal for post-exercise and 840.3±15.8 kcal for non-exercise, respectively. After 24 h no difference was observed in VO₂ and HR between post-exercise and non-exercise, but RQ was significantly lower in the former than in the latter (0.86±0.05 vs. 0.90±0.04, p<0.05) . These results suggest that exercise for one hour at VT intensity enhances resting VO₂ for at least 12 h, and elevates the rate of fat utilization for at least 24 h.