Rats exposed to repeated periods of food deprivation during development revealed significant inhibition of starvation-induced hypovolemia as adults. Same age littermates food deprived once as adults indicated severe hypovolemia. Plasma aldosterone (but not angiotensin II) was significantly elevated in the repeatedly fasted group as compared with the control and the singly deprived groups. It is concluded that the repeated application of food deprivation during development results in physiological compensation in the form of increased aldosterone release if starvation is encountered in adulthood. These increments in plasma aldosterone promote greater sodium retention thus lessening the compromising of blood volume necessary to maintain normal plasma osmolality given the lack of dietary sodium.