How Did The Ancient Olympians Eat?

In this article, learn more about How Did The Ancient Olympians Eat?. The roots of modern sports nutrition go back to the ancient Olympic Games..

The roots of modern sports nutrition go back to the ancient Olympic Games.

During training and competitions, athletes are exposed to serious physical and neuropsychological stress. These efforts give them the opportunity to achieve high results in sports. In order to compensate for energy expenditure, tissue and muscle recovery processes, and to restore performance, the body of athletes is required to receive an adequate amount of energy and essential nutrients. These requirements are taken into account by a special menu for athletes - a sports diet.

The experience of the first athletes

Today there are many types of sports. Some of them are not associated with significant physical exertion, and in others, training and competitions are held in extremely stressful conditions. Therefore, the choice of a sports diet depends on the type of sports activity. But in all cases, it is a balanced diet. The principles of sports nutrition seem modern, but their origins are laid by the Olympians of ancient times.

The tradition of holding the Olympic Games originated in Ancient Greece as part of a religious cult. Participation and victory in the Games became the meaning of life for many ancient Greeks. The winners were honored as heroes, they were the pride of society. Therefore, athletes and doctors of that time were interested in the fact that nutrition was a component that ensured their victory.

Not much is known about the diet of ancient athletes, but it is clear that a lot of attention was paid to nutrition. The author of the book "The Philosopher's Kitchen", nutrition historian Francine Segan writes that from excerpts from ancient documents it can be concluded that the diet of ancient athletes included a lot of fish, legumes, chickpeas (Turkish peas), olives, some types of cheese, and dried fruits. Isn't it true that such a menu resembles the diet that is now called the Mediterranean diet? It is generally accepted that this nutritional system is useful for everyone and allows you to maintain health, youth and prolong life.

Ancient athletes also got the proteins necessary for sports from the meat of goats, cows, birds, and dairy products. Olive oil and wine occupied an important place on their table. People knew about the healing properties of the latter since ancient times, and even preferred it to ordinary water. The first Olympians did not ignore vegetables, fruits, and bread. However, in one of the ancient works there is a mention that ancient athletes were recommended to give up flour. Obviously, this was to help them maintain their physical fitness. These days, many athletes also follow a gluten-free diet (gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, baked goods, and popular nutritional supplements). They believe that gluten promotes weight gain and takes away energy.

It is important to remember! All forms of whey protein can be mixed with milk or juice, except hydrolyzate. After training, it is better not to mix protein with juice, so that carbohydrates do not enter the blood. Complex use of protein can replace one of your meals per day.  

Principles of modern sports nutrition

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, sports have been replenished with many new sports, and the program of the Olympic Games has become very diverse. And as the sport developed, so did the requirements for sports nutrition.

The energy expenditure of modern athletes is calculated individually, taking into account the type of sport, the amount of work performed, the gender and weight of the athlete.

The qualitative composition of the diet of athletes should be close to the formula: 30% proteins, 10% fats and 60% carbohydrates.

Proteins are needed for the growth and recovery of muscle tissue. But you should not overload the body with proteins, as their breakdown in the intestines is accompanied by the release of a large number of toxic substances. Protein sources are poultry, fish, lean red meat, eggs, dairy products, bread, cereals, legumes. An athlete's diet should contain at least 60% animal proteins (for the period of strength and speed training, the share of animal proteins can be increased to 80%).

Fats are a source of energy and building material for the membranes of all body cells. The main part of fats is spent during slow, time-consuming movements, for the work of the heart, for maintaining a constant body temperature. It is recommended to combine vegetable and animal fats in the proportion of 25% to 75%.

Carbohydrates are the basis of the body's energy metabolism, their share should account for the main part of the diet. To prevent the excessive conversion of carbohydrates into fats and their accumulation in the form of extra kilograms, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of easily digestible carbohydrates.

The body needs vitamins for normal metabolism, and during intense physical activity, it is recommended to receive them additionally in the form of food additives or vitamin-mineral complexes.

Athletes should consume 2.5 liters of water (or more, depending on the workload) as they lose water through sweat during training.

Athletes are often recommended to use sports cocktails. These drinks are composed in such a way that proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, trace elements and biologically active substances are contained in them in an optimal ratio for the body receiving sports loads. Sports cocktails are not a replacement, but a supplement to the diet.

An athlete's food should contain the right amount of calories, provide the body with the necessary amount of nutrients and vitamins, increase strength and endurance, contribute to the efficient use of the body's reserves, and, of course, not harm health.