In 57 N-balance experiments with castrated male pigs (20 ... 65 kg live weight) the influence of graded lysine supplements to crushed barley enriched with energy, minerals and vitamins on nitrogen metabolism and lysine effectiveness was tested. Close correlative relations between lysine concentration and the b-value, the NPU-value, N-balance and N-excretion in urine could be detected. In agreement with the law of minimum a constant lysine effectiveness could be observed within the limiting range. The supplemented synthetic lysine distinguished itself by the same effectiveness as the protein-bound barley lysine. When barley supplemented with lysine is used, an amount of lysine supplement should be chosen from the point of view of nutrition physiology which raises the total lysine content to a maximum level of 6.3 g/16 g N because lysine supplementation exceeding this value without the simultaneous supplementation of limiting threonine remains ineffective.