How Environmental temperature affect requirement of protein?
Environmental temperature: As environmental temperatures rise or fall above or below the range of thermic neutrality, animals begin to increase their caloric expenditure to maintain their body temperature. In environments that are too warm, vasodilatation (widening of blood vessels) occurs along with sweating and increased respiration. All of these mechanisms are designed to cool the body and all require an increase in the basal energy requirement expressed as per unit of body surface area. In cool environments, vasoconstriction and shivering occurs in an effort to warm the body and prevent undue heat loss. Again, an increase in basal energy requirement is observed. Smuts (1934) found that nitrogen requirements were related to basal energy requirements. Through the study of a large number of species, he concluded that 2 mg nitrogen were required for every basal kilocalorie required when the energy requirement was expressed on a surface area basis. Thus, any increase in basal energy needs due to a change in environmental temperature will be because of the relationship between protein and energy. An increase in energy needs would be accompanied by an increase in the protein requirement for maintenance. In addition, profuse sweating as occurs in very warm environments carries with it a nitrogen loss which must be accounted for in the determination of minimal protein needs.