This work discusses reliability, possible obstacles and the future perspective of chiral extrapolation of lattice results. In the first part, chiral perturbation theory fits to lattice calculations of the nucleon mass are thoroughly explored in terms of statistical uncertainty and convergence. Lattice volume dependence is exploited as a source of additional fit constraints. In discussing consistency with pion-nucleon scattering, the role of the Delta(1232) excitation is clarified. In the second part of the work, pion and kaon mass lattice data are analyzed using three-flavor chiral perturbation theory. SU(3)-SU(2) matching conditions permit to examine deviations from the Gell-Mann, Oakes, Renner relation. Introductory chapters provide a quick start guide to manifestly covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory, basic understanding of lattice QCD and a self-contained explanation of the relevant statistical methods.
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