Studies in the metabolism of the ruminant by indirect calorimetry. IV. The influence of food on the energy exchange of the goat

Abstract

The effects of food ingestion on the total energy exchange of man and of the dog have been fairly completely worked out. Lavoisier was the first to show that the oxygen absorption and carbon dioxide production were increased by ingestion of food. Rubner, in addition to confirming these observations of Lavoisier, showed that the heat given off from the body after food was equal to the heat evolved from the foodstuffs actually oxidised within the body and thus established the agreement between direct and indirect calorimetry. He showed, further, that the increase in heat production was greatest after protein food. This specific effect of protein food he designated the “specific dynamic action.” The work of Rubner has been continued by, amongst others, Magnus-Levy, Benedict, and Lusk. The latter showed that the specific dynamic action of proteins is due to the special stimulating effect of certain amino-acids on the tissues and that the increased heat production after fat and carbohydrate ingestion is due to plethora of oxidisable molecules round the living body cells. Recently Wood and his school (1) have carried out investigations on the metabolism after food in pigs.