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Nutritional Requirements in Cold Climates

Arctio Aeromedical Laboratory, Fairbanks, Alaska, and Institute of Physiology, Oslo University, Norway

A series of nutritional surveys has been carried out among two groups of Whites (airmen and Infantry soldiers) in Alaska during the 4 seasons of the year from 1950 to 1952. Simultaneously, similar studies were made among 4 groups of Eskimos for comparison.

Individual food weighings showed an average daily calorie consumption per man of 3,000 in the Air Force group and 3,200 in the Infantry group. The average calorie expenditure for the 4 seasons was estimated to be about 2,800 calories per man per day on the basis of time activity data. Under these conditions no appreciable weight change occurred, and the subjects remained in excellent health throughout the period of the study. It is concluded that the calorie requirements of the average man engaged in activities of similar magnitude and under similar climatic conditions as those of the subjects studied, would be in the order of approximately 3,000 to 3,500 calories per man per day at any season of the year. In adult male Eskimos at 4 different locations in Alaska, an average daily consumption of approximately 3,100 calories was sufficient to maintain the body weight with an estimated daily energy expenditure of roughly 2,700 calories throughout the year. These findings are in agreement with previous findings among Eskimos and trappers in Greenland (Höygaard, '41; Rodahl, '49).

The percentage of calories furnished by protein, fat and carbohydrate in the United States troops living in Alaska is not significantly different from that reported for United States troops eating a garrison ration in temperate or tropic climates. In the Air Force group, however, there was an increased consumption of fat in the winter.

The consumption of minerals was higher than the recommended allowances for temperate climates.

The data presented do not indicate that the human vitamin requirements are significantly higher in arctic or subarctic environments than in temperate climates. In the case of vitamin C, arctic travellers, trappers and Eskimos may subsist on ascorbic acid intakes of less than 15 mg daily without showing clinical evidence of vitamin C deficiency.