<![CDATA[A group of Austrian researchers has revealed that Roman gladiators used to eat a vegetarian diet - and washed it down with a 'sports drink' made from vinegar and plant ashes. The evidence found by the researchers suggests that although Roman gladiators were subject to hours of physically exhausting tasks and severe training regimes, they didn’t have diets rich in protein like modern athletes. Instead they managed to do all the hard work on a diet of granule, washed down with the ash and vinegar drink. The researchers from the MedUni Vienna Department of Forensic Medicine learnt about the Gladiators’ diet after studying the albuminoid in the bones of Roman cadavers found in a Second Century graveyard. The graveyard was originally discovered in 1933, in the Roman city of Ephesos. The city of Ephesos is located in modern-day Turkey. In the Second Century it was the capital of the Roman district of Asia and had a population of 200,000 residents. The team used spectroscopy to study constant isotope ratios including the intensities of sulphur, nitrogen and carbon in the cadavers. The researchers also checked the strontium to calcium ratio in the bone mineral. By analysing strontium intensities it is possible to reveal the amount of vegetables consumed over a lifetime; the greater the intensity, the more probable that the person’s diet lacked meat. The researchers studied the remains of a total of 53 people, 22 of which were gladiators. The results of the study disclosed that the diet of the gladiators consisted principally of grain and non-meat foods. All of the people studied ate plants such as barley and wheat as a staple of their diet, but some of them also consumed beans. The study also revealed that the gladiators washed their food down with the concoction of plant ash and vinegar. This was to recharge their energy levels, much like a sports drink does for athletes nowadays. Professor Fabian Kanz, the leader of the research team, explained that the plant ashes were clearly taken to strengthen the body and improve bone healing after hard work. Professor Kanz said that this was similar to what we do these days- we consume calcium and magnesium tablets following energy draining exercise. The magnesium recharges our energy, and the calcium helps repair our bones. Ancient texts and historic sources have confirmed that the gladiators had a special kind of diet consisting of grains and beans. Indeed they were referred to as ‘Barley Eaters.’ Researchers found a significant difference between the diets of normal people and the gladiators in terms of the intensity of strontium found in their bones. ]]>
Roman Gladiators Drank Energy Drink Made of Ash and Vinegar
