Certain members of the faculty were especially competent to pass judgment upon the physical fitness and performance of the men. They were continually observing them in their gymnasium and other athletic activities. These instructors discussed the matter with us very frankly. The individual interviews were on May 21, 1918. We are greatly indebted to these gentlemen for the privilege of including their statements which have been made from as nearly as possible an unbiased point of view. They were all heartily in favor of having the experiment carried out at the college and aided us in every way possible.

Professor George B. Affleck said: "The physical endurance of the men was not up to normal when they were on the diet. For one thing, they would ask for the privilege of wearing their sweaters during the exercises in athletics, and whenever possible they would seek to be near the radiators. Then, in the athletic work, some of them tried to play hockey, others to engage in the swimming and other athletic sports. Their endurance was less than in previous years and also was less than that of their fellows. It is impossible to say whether this was because they were physically unable to do the task or were lacking in desire. It may have been partly mental attitude although they seemed to want to do it and keep up with the others. I think in general it might be said that the men on the diet were more passive. They did not seem to feel so strongly. They certainly did not persevere in an athletic contest as one would think they should. They did not have the fighting spirit nor the determination to win. They were not so boisterous and overflowing in spirits as the other students or as themselves before and after the diet".

Mention was made that the men complained of weakness in the legs, and yet at times were seen to be running up and down stairs as occasion or interest prompted. Professor Affleck commented as follows:

"Yes, they complained to me a good deal about the weakness at times in stair-climbing. I think it quite compatible that a man should thus complain and yet be seen to run up or down stairs. This running is largely a habit. Then, too, there is a good explanation, although it may not have been thought of by some of the men. It takes a certain amount of time for the troublesome and more or less unpleasant sensations connected with weakness in stair-climbing to come to the foreground, just as it takes time for certain fatigue effects to develop. It is possible that one may by running so shorten the process as to avoid, in part at least, the unpleasant sensations".

Professor Affleck felt secure in the conviction that the men on low-diet would not make good soldiers. He said:

"They did not have the proper spirit of 'punch' for fight. It was often noted that they were tired, lax, and not so alert as usual, unless they urged themselves especially to the effort".

Professor Austin G. Johnson, as explained on page 396, studied the men while they rode the bicycle ergometer. Concerning the work which the men performed, he made the following general statement:

"Very frequently after a man on low diet had finished riding on the bicycle ergometer, and was lying on the plinth, he would say 'I should like to stay right here for two hours,' or would make some other remark, or by action show the fact that he was fatigued. Such remarks and indications were more frequent and pronounced with the men in Squad A than with the members of Squad B".

Professor Johnson made an interesting observation concerning the matter of perspiration during and following the ergometer work.

"During the low-diet period, the men in Squad A perspired only slightly during the exercise of riding while the Squad B men on full diet perspired very freely, in great contrast to the low-diet men. After the end of the experiment with Squad A (February 3), they did not ride on the ergometer again until February 8. In the meantime their weight had increased considerably and the difference in perspiration was astonishing. Gul perspired fearfully upon this latter occasion and panted in a striking and unusual way. Others of the men were noted to perspire very freely in contrast to their former condition, and they appeared to be much out of breath following the work".

Professor Elmer Berry had the following statements to make:

"I am glad that you have not recommended for the military and for men doing hard muscular work a dietetic regime such as that involving the degree of reduction in food in these experiments. Certain of the men of Squad A regularly had what would be regarded as hard, muscular work in athletics; Peabody, for example, and Gardner, also Kontner, who played football a good part of the season. In general most of the men were doing the usual amount of athletic work. While it is true that Peabody and Gardner carried on their heavy physical work, the former doing particularly well in his crosscountry races, yet it is my impression that the men generally were definitely below par in their performance. My impression of the men in the gymnasium, for instance, is that they did not seem to be physically fit to do some of the heavier apparatus work. To be sure, this condition may not be entirely due to the diet as the circumstance of less sleep and the nuny details in connection with the experiment which drew upon the energies of the men were no doubt contributing factors. The feeling of cold was particularly prominent and the men had to be relieved from some of the swimming work on account of the complaints of severe cold. In reality the water in the natatorium was rather warm and no complaints were made by the other men. I think there may have been a slight disinclination for quite so much work in the gymnasium. In general, as a conditioner of men and as an athletic coach I have these very definite opinions in regard to this diet and its relation to the fitness of men for athletic performance".