FEATURED PROJECT
INDIANA RESEARCHERS ATTEMPT
"THE GREAT ONE"
DENALI
Dr. David Gallahue at work on Denali
The sled is full of T590 papers
THE ABSTRACT
Tanner, D.A. Weight and body composition changes as a function of
diet during a mountaineering expedition. M.S. in Exercise
Physiology, 1995, 190 pp. (J.M. Stager)
Weight loss and changes in body composition associated with high
altitude mountaineering expeditions at altitudes up to 5,500m have
been attributed primarily to negative energy balance. Attempts to
partition the weight loss between FFM and fat stores have been
inconclusive. Five male subjects (40.0 +/- 5.5 yr) were studied
before and after a 19-day expedition from 2,200 m to 4,300 m on
Mt. McKinley, AK. Body composition was determined by densitometry,
skinfolds (12 sites), girth measurements (14 sites), and MRI (upper
arm, thigh, calf). Data analysis (Student's t test, p<.05 1 tail)
indicated significant decreases in weight (4.2 +/- 2.8 kg, 220 gm/day,
5.4% of initial weight), total skinfolds (10.8%), total girth
measurements (2.8%), and %fat (15%). Total cross-sectional area
of three MRI slices decreased 4.7%, muscle area decreased 9.1%,
and fat area decreased 3.9%. Weight loss was partioned into 23% FFM
and 77% fat mass, 75% FFM and 25% fat mass via skinfolds, and 62% muscle
and 38% fat via MRI. Mean energy intake of 3640 +/- 1250 kcal/day was
significantly less than estimated energy expenditure of 5,500 kcal/day
(Stager, 1992). Energy intake was significantly correlated
(Pearson r>.88 2 tail) with changes in weight (r=.89), skinfolds (r=.93),
and girths (r=.88). Insufficient energy intake appeared to be primarily
responsible for the weight loss during the expedition, and the composition
of the loss was not unlike that observed with starvation.