Mr. Fletcher has taken these movements with an ease that is unlooked
for. He gives evidence of no soreness or lameness, and the large
groups of muscles respond the second day without evidence of being
poisoned by Carbon dioxide. There is no evidence of distress after or
during the endurance test, _i. e._, the long run. The heart is fast
but regular. It comes back to its normal beat quicker than does the
heart of other men of his weight and age.
The case is unusual, and I am surprised that Mr. Fletcher can do
the work of trained athletes and not give marked evidences of
over-exertion. As I am in almost constant training I have gone over
the same exercises, and in about the same way, and have given the
results for a standard of comparison. [The figures are not given here.]
My conclusion, given in condensed form, is this: Mr. Fletcher performs
this work with greater ease and with fewer noticeable bad results than
any man of his age and condition I have ever worked with.
To appreciate the full significance of this report, it must be
remembered that Mr. Fletcher had for several months past taken
practically no exercise other than that involved in daily walks about
town.
In view of the strenuous work imposed during the above four days, it is
quite evident that the body had need of a certain amount of nutritive
material. Yet the work was done without apparently drawing upon any
reserve the body may have possessed. The diet, small though it was, and
with only half the accepted requirement in fuel value, still sufficed
to furnish the requisite energy. The work was accomplished with perfect
ease, without strain, without the usual resultant lameness, without
taxing the heart or lungs, and without loss of body-weight. In other
words, in Mr. Fletcher’s case at least, the body machinery was kept in
perfect fitness without the consumption of any such quantities of fuel
as has generally been considered necessary.
Just here it may be instructive to observe that the food consumed
by Mr. Fletcher during this seven days' period--and which has been
shown to be entirely adequate for his bodily needs during strenuous
activity--cost eleven cents daily, thus making the total cost for
the seven days seventy-seven cents! If we contrast this figure with
the amounts generally paid for average nourishment for a like period
of time, there is certainly food for serious thought. Mr. Fletcher
avers that he has followed his present plan of living for nearly five
years; he usually takes two meals a day; has been led to a strong
liking for sugar and carbohydrates in general and away from a meat
diet; is always in perfect health, and is constantly in a condition of
fitness for work. He practises thorough mastication, with more complete
insalivation of the food (liquid as well as solid) than is usual,
thereby insuring more complete and ready digestion and a more thorough
utilisation of the nutritive portions of the food.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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