An amino acid mixture and different energy sources were enterally fed to 14 malnourished alcoholic patients in a metabolic unit. The patients were divided into three groups: Gp I received as enteral feeding the amino acid mixture plus carbohydrates; Gp II received the same mixture plus lipids and carbohydrates; and Gp III (control) was placed on a solid-food general hospital diet. The results were evaluated by measurement of plasma amino acids and by metabolic studies of nitrogen balance. No significant differences in plasma levels of amino acids were observed for any of the three groups between admission and discharge. The nitrogen absorption and digestibility of the amino acid mixtures offered to Gp I and Gp II was significantly higher than that of the controls. No effect of the energy source on nitrogen absorption, digestibility or retention was observed. The results suggest that the amino acid solution used was well utilized by the alcoholic patients and that the energy source (carbohydrates alone or carbohydrates plus lipids) was not a critical factor in the nitrogen utilization by the chronic alcoholic patients studied.