Partitioning of fat and protein in energy retention of growing animals

With increasing intakes the body fat content increases and that of protein decreases. It is most often assumed that this is brought about because each increment in retention contains more fat and less protein. Experimental results, however, showed that this explanation is not true. In two experiments male broiler chickens were fed at levels between 60 and 100 % of recommended energy intake. Body composition at 1500 g showed, as expected, that with increasing intakes body fat content increased and protein content decreased. Both fat and protein retention per day were linearly related to total energy retention (ER). This means that each increment in retention has the same protein and fat content. At zero fat retention only protein was retained, about 50 % of maximal retention. At zero ER protein was retained and fat mobilized. Energy and N balance experiments confirmed the constant composition of each increment in retention. The results of both experiments show that total ER consisted of two components: a basic constant daily protein retention and a variable additional ER, mainly consisting of fat. The basic protein retention is about half of maximal retention. With increasing energy intakes the basic protein retention is combined with an additional amount of protein and fat in a constant ratio.