RESUMEN
This project was conceived to explore whether prevviously stunted, pubertal-age girls were capable of showing and adequate secretion of endogenous factors in response to a physiological stimulus (physical exercise), and whether nutritional supplementation during puberty would enhance such response. This was explored applying recent advances in endocrine and laboratory technologies that allow the assessment of human growth hormone (hGH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) production trough their secretion in urine. Three hundred sixty girls, 10 and 11 years old, from low-income families, who attended public schools in Guatemala City, were screened for eligibility to participate in the study, Most were currently well nourished. Based on their weight-for-height and body mass index, only 6 and 19 percent respectively could be classified as mildly undernourished, whereas the same indicators suggested that 5 and 11 percenbt respectively were overweight. However, 67 percent and some degree of stunting and 27 percent were more than 2 standard deviation units (Z score) below the NCHS median of height-for-age. Theirsocioeconomic background suggests that a suboptimal nutrition in earlier childhood played a role in this linear growth retardation...(au.)