The role of exercise in skeletal muscle hypertrophy was examined using op/op mice, which have a hereditary deficiency in the differentiation of macrophages. A tenotomy was performed to produce a compensation load for the soleus and plantaris muscles in op/op mice and a control group. After one week, the weight of the soleus and plantaris muscles had increased significantly. The cross-sectional area of the muscle fiber in the soleus of the control group increased as a result of the compensation load, indicating that the tenotomy had induced muscle fiber hypertrophy. However, the cross-sectional area of the muscle fiber in the soleus of the op/op mouse group did not change significantly. Instead, the tenotomy induced an increase in the number of thin fibers. The cross-sectional area of muscle fibers in the plantaris muscle, which is a fast muscle, decreased in the op/op mouse group. In conclusion, compensation loads in macrophage-deficient op/op mice do not result in muscle fiber hypertrophy.

The oxygen consumption during physical exercise is necessarily dependent upon the load on the muscle and also on the mass of muscles at work. In the present study maximal work has been performed by legs and arms plus legs in pedaling bicycle ergometer.
Thirteen healty male students were studied. Group A consisted of eight Judoists, aged 18-21 years. Mean maximal oxygen uptake and max O₂ uptake/kg for this group were obtained 3.41/min and 44.7 ml/kg/min respectively in legs bicycle exercise. Group B consisted of five long distance runners, aged 19 years, with mean max. O₂-uptake of 3.31/min and max. O₂-uptake/kg of 57.2 ml/kg/min.
In arms plus legs bicycle exercise, max. VO₂ and max. VO₂/kg were an average value of 3.81/min and 49.8 ml/kg/min respectively for group A. For group B max. VO₂ and max. VO₂/kg averaged 3.61/min and 62.6 ml/kg/min respectively.
Group A 12% significantly higher values for max. VO₂ was attained in arms plus legs cycling (P<0.01), but group B 9% higher max. VO₂ when arms plus legs cycling than when legs cycling was actually not a regular finding in the group. Max. VO₂/kg in legs cycling was an average 9-11% lower than that on arms plus legs cycling. The differences were statistically significant for group A and group B.
Only in group A was max. VO₂ a little higher than in group B for legs cycling, but the differences was not statistically significant. Max. VO₂/kg was statistically significantly higher in arms plus legs cycling with both group. In group A max. heart rate, tidal volume and O₂-pulse were higher in arms plus legs cycling. Then max. heart rate and tidal volume were significantly higher in group A than on group B.

Studies were made on the physical fitness and morphological development of 47 high ranking sumo wrestlers who are considered to possess gigantic physique and great strength.
Morphological measurements.
1) The average body height was 180.2cm which when compared to the average Japanese is remarkably tall, however, when considering the tendency for the first rate athletes in Judo, boating, baseball, and basket ball to become taller, recently, this is not particularly noteworthy (Fig.1) .
2) The average body weight was 122.3kg, and the average of the Rohrer's index was 210.5. This is remarkable and may be considered to be a characteristic of the sumo wrestlers (Table 1, Fig. 2) .
3) The development of the circumf erential measurements when compared to that of the long axis of the body was remarkable : waist girth, 114.9cm, and hip girth 115.7cm. The skinfold thickeness was 109.9mm which is remarkably thick. This nearly abnormal development of subcutaneous fat is a special characteristic of sumo wrestlers.
Physical fitness.
4) The average back strength was 181.2kg, and the average grip strength was 47.9 kg, which are unexpectedly small and inferior to those of the boating and heavy weight lifting Olympic athletes. The method of measurement of muscle strength may be somewhat problematic, however, the development of the muscles was surprisingly poor. (Table 4)
5) The sumo wrestlers were also remarkably poor in tests requiring body movement, such as, vertical jump (47.9 cm) and side step test (35.1 times) . These values are far inferior to those of athletes in other sports, and are even inferior to those of the average Japanese of comparable age. (Table 4)
6) However, in spite of their obesity, the sumo wrestlers were comparable to the athletes of other sports in body flexibility and response time. (Table 4)
7) Obese subjects are said to have weak respiratory function. The sumo wrestlers under observation had an average vital capacity of 4918.6m1 indicating a remarkably low value for their large physique.
8) The average points for the step test was 49.4 indicating a lower value than the average Japanese of comparable age.
9) A follow-up study of the measurements made during the past 4 years was made on a few Sekitori. Although no change was noted in body height, marked increases in body weight and circumferential measurements were observed. (Fig. 4)
10) When the higher ranking wrestlers were compared with the lower ranking wreatlers, it was found that, morphologically, the higher ranking wrestlers were superior in body weight and circumferential measurements, however, no significant difference was found in the functional aspect (Fig. 5, 6) . These facts suggest that morphological superiority is an important factor in winning a sumo match.
11) From the foregoing, it may be inferred that the special characteristic of the sumo wrestler is their well developed morphological features, especially girth, however, they are far inferior to athletes of other sports in their functional aspect. These points suggest that more consideration should be made on the sumo wrestlers' method of training and also on their mode of living.

The change in the venous concentration of amino acids in normal male and female adults was studied. After the brief fast (about 40 hours) except for a higher concentration of branched-chain amino acids in the plasma of female subjects, there was essentially no significant difference between the plasma composition of amino acids in female or male subjects. In only one male subject (Rohler's Index was 106), the transient fall of the branched-chain amino acid concentrations.
Low caloric diet feedings resulted in a marked reductions of the plasma serine, glutamic acid, proline, glycine, arginine and threonine. On the other hand, high protein and high fat diet feedings resulted is a remarkable increasing of the branched-chain amino acid concentration and marked reduction of the plasma alanine concentration.

The variation of venous concentration of FFA as the effect of exercise under several nutritive conditions were tested on two subjects, i, e., 56 years old male and 20 years old female.
Arrhythmia were recorded when sudden increase in palmitoleic acid in venous concentration was observed, while no arrhythmia were recorded otherwise. Arrtythmia seemed to have been prevented by intaking glucose prior to exercise.
It was also observed that arrhythmia would easily be produced by sudden uprise of palmitoleic acid under hunger after low carbohydrate nutrition.

To examine personal space perception, a method of identifying joint position was determined by having the subject equally bisect the joint angle, by producing a minimum increment in change of position and by selecting a threshold for two-point discrimination using the metacarpophalangeal joint of digits 2-5.
Eight healthy adults (6 males and 2 females) were used as subjects. The subjects' eyes were covered at all times to prevent any visual feedback.
Each metacarpophalangeal joint of digits 2-5 was extended, flexed and pointed to the bisection position in 6 sec (about 2 sec in each position) . The difference in the bisection position selected using the index finger with the shoulder, elbow and hand in variety of positions was determined. The deviation from the mid-bisection point and the standard deviation were less when the hand was positioned most comfortably and near the face (“natural and near”) than when the hand was positioned in the more uncomfortable position and further from the face (“unnatural and further”) .
In a second test, the index finger was moved from full extension to the full flexion in increments as small as possible at a rate of one change in position per second. Again, the effect of arm position was determined.
In case of“the natural and near”position, each increment in joint position was smaller than in“the unnatural and further”position.
In“the natural and near”position, the two point threshold was smallest of all. It was measured at the thumb side of right palm in the proximo-distal direction.
These results suggest that personal space perception of metacarpophalangeal joint is affected by the position of adjoining limb segments.

To examine the personal space perception, measurements were conducted on both arms in 227 young men and women. Each subject, with his eyes closed, was instructed to stop the horizontal swing motion of his arm at the point he considered to be the middle of the range of possible motion on the horizontal plane, and this was repeated ten times.
Mean values of bisected angles were deviated from the middle points in the direction of the horizontal adduction, although there were large differences between the individuals. The deviation was larger in the right arms than that in the left, and it increased with the increasing range of motion of the horizontal abduction.
It was suggested that the gain of the personal space perception is higher in front of the body than in the side on the horizontal plane of the human shoulder.

To examine personal space perception, a method of identifying joint position was determined by having the subject equally bisect the joint angle, by producing a minimum increment in change of position and by selecting a threshold for two-point discrimination using the metacarpophalangeal joint of digits 2-5.
Eight healthy adults (6 males and 2 females) were used as subjects. The subjects' eyes were covered at all times to prevent any visual feedback.
Each metacarpophalangeal joint of digits 2-5 was extended, flexed and pointed to the bisection position in 6 sec (about 2 sec in each position) . The difference in the bisection position selected using the index finger with the shoulder, elbow and hand in variety of positions was determined. The deviation from the mid-bisection point and the standard deviation were less when the hand was positioned most comfortably and near the face (“natural and near”) than when the hand was positioned in the more uncomfortable position and further from the face (“unnatural and further”) .
In a second test, the index finger was moved from full extension to the full flexion in increments as small as possible at a rate of one change in position per second. Again, the effect of arm position was determined.
In case of“the natural and near”position, each increment in joint position was smaller than in“the unnatural and further”position.
In“the natural and near”position, the two point threshold was smallest of all. It was measured at the thumb side of right palm in the proximo-distal direction.
These results suggest that personal space perception of metacarpophalangeal joint is affected by the position of adjoining limb segments.

In this study, energy consumption of three types of basic rope skipping was measured, together with an investigation of work intensities. The subjects were 5 healthy adult male. The results of this study were as follows :
1) The average relative metabolic rate (RMR) of 1 skip (one skip to one forwardturn of rope), 2 skip (double skip to one forward-turn of rope) and running skip were 13.6, 11.7 and 10.3, respectively, and it was noted that work intensities decrease in order of 1 skip, 2 skp and running skip.
2) On the three types of five minute rope skipping, the oxygen intake for the last one minute of exercise of 1 skip was equivalent to 63.7-78.0% of maximal oxygen intake, and in cases of 2 skip and running skip were 57.5-76.3% and 56.8-67.2%, respectively.
3) When skip frequencies of 1 skip were 92, 120 and 156 skips/min, respectively, oxy-gen requirement for 120 skips/min was the lowest, therefore, it was noted that skip fre-quency of 120 skips/min was optimal.

Influence of the all out exercise by the bicycle ergometer, all out exercise by the treadmill and the 5000 meter track running on the venous and urine concentrations of amino acid with healthy male and female subjects (include junior high school boys) were tested. The subject who was observed remarkable rise in his venous concentrations of amino acids was not always rose in his urine concentration of that.
Generally, increasing ratio of serum alanine concentration was small and both the serum concntrations of essential and non-essential amino acids were reduced. On the several subjects increase of essential amino acids especially branched chain amino acids were observed. It seemed to us the sign of proteolysis according with the exercise. Quite a few difference of the effect on the serum amino acid concentrations among the individuals are observed.