Abstract
The metabolic nature of rats fed a high carbohydrate diet (HCD) and a high fat diet (HFD) alternately every two days (one cycle of this alternate feeding is a 4-day period) was investigated.
1. There were no significant differences between the total weight gains of rats fed HCD or HFD continuously and those on these two diets alternately for 21 days.
2. Rats fed HCD and HFD alternately did not show the constant growth rate. The weight gain was the highest on the first day of HCD feeding, while that was the least or nearly zero on the first day of HFD feeding during the 4-day period. The extent of the weight gain of rats on the second day of HFD feeding was the second highest among the weight gains on each day during the 4-day period.
3. Food intake and carcass composition of rats were determined on 5, 6, 7 and 8 days after rats were offered the experimental diets; on each day of second cycle of the alternate feeding. The least intakes of calorie and protein were observed on the first day of HFD feeding, which were parallel with the least gains of body weight and also of carcass protein of rats on the first day of HFD feeding among those gains on each day. However, the highest weight gain was obtained on the first day of HCD feeding, although the intake of calorie and protein were rather less on the first day of HCD feeding as compared with on the second day of HFD feeding and the second day of HCD feeding. The increase in carcass water of rats on the first day of HCD feeding was significantly more than those of rats on the other days of HCD or HFD feeding. These results suggest that the highest gain observed on the first day of HCD feeding may be due to the greater increase in carcass water in rats.
4. The increases in carcass lipid of rats were more, but the weight gains were rather less on the first day of HFD feeding and the second day of HCD feeding than the second day of HFD feeding and the first day of HCD feeding. These facts, therefore, show that the change in body weight of rats fed HCD and HFD alternately were not due to those in carcass lipid of rats.
5. The increases in carcass protein were more in rats fed the carbohydrate diet than in those fed the fat diet.
