Scientists have found that that their diet was very different from the menu of modern athletes.
This was reported by URA-Inform with reference to T4.
Modern films often depict gladiators as muscular men with impeccable figures, as if they had special diets and training conditions. In fact, gladiators in ancient Rome were mostly slaves and could not afford a luxurious diet.
Research on the remains of gladiators in ancient Ephesus, one of the Roman centers, has shown , that they consumed very little meat and protein, but ate a diet rich in calcium and carbohydrates. The basis of their diet was barley, wheat and legumes, which gave them the nickname “barley people”.
Also, bone analysis revealed high levels of strontium , indicating the consumption of a drink made from plant ash, which helped them recover after battles. Fabian Kanz from the University of Vienna explained that such ash helped strengthen bones, similar to modern calcium and magnesium supplements taken after exercise.
It will also be interesting to know that a 105-year-old woman revealed the secret to a long life: “Just “Drink this foamy drink.”