American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 24, 913-923, Copyright © 1971 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Metabolic aspects of caloric restriction: nutrient balances with 500-kilocalorie intakes

¹ From the U.S. Army Medical Research and Nutrition Laboratory, Fitzsimons General Hospital, Denver, Colorado 80240

Eight young, healthy adults were assigned to two groups during this study, which was divided into three phases: a) control, 8 days on a 3,700-kcal liquid diet; b) restriction, 10 days on 500 kcal of carbohydrate and protein, with one-half of the men (group II) receiving mineral supplementation; and c) rehabilitation, 8 days on the control diet. Energy expenditure was maintained at about 3,600 kcal/day.

Body weight losses averaged 6.0 and 5.2 kg (8.1 and 7.2% of their initial weights) for groups I and II, respectively. Some hypohydration occurred during the first days of restriction, but part of this water was regained during rehabilitation.

Under the conditions of this study, the caloric deficit was accounted for primarily through catabolism of fat stores, with body protein contributing 4 to 5%. Due to the lower caloric value of protein and its associated water, this protein loss accounted for approximately one-fourth of the weight loss observed. Negative nitrogen balances averaged 7.1 and 6.5 g/man per day, and no improvement in nitrogen balances was observed during the study, which would indicate that this may be the best balance attainable under these conditions.

Sodium losses amounted to only approximately 5 g/man for all of the subjects during 10 days of restriction, but potassium losses were large, namely, 19 and 21 g/man for groups I and II.

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