Gladiators were covered in subcutaneous fat, not muscular race warrior, dietary life was carbohydrate center

by Nathan Rupert | Flickr

A swordsman who fought as a spectacle in ancient Rome " Gladiator " (Gladiator) is often chosen as the theme of fiction, in that case it is drawn as a muscular body. However, according to the archeology study, it is said that the actual gladiator was a carbohydrate-centered life, so that the broken abdominal muscle was not conspicuous, both the abdomen and chest were covered with subcutaneous fat.

Stable Isotope and Trace Element Studies on Gladiators and Contemporary Romans from Ephesus (Turkey, 2nd and 3rd Ct. AD) - Implications for Differences in Diet
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110489

Gladiator Diets Were Carb-Heavy, Fattening, and Mostly Vegetarian - Gastro Obscura
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-did-gladiators-eat

In the movie ' Gladiator ' gladiator played by Russell Crowe is depicted as a strong warrior with a muscular body. From the manner in which gladiators are drawn in such fiction, there are a lot of people who think of a muscular body as a gladiator.

Gladiator - Trailer - YouTube


However, according to archaeological research, it was said that the abdomen and the chest were covered with subcutaneous fat, as the gladiator of the day lived a carbohydrate-centered life. Contemporary soldiers and athletes consume a lot of protein such as meat and fish, but gladiators are mainly foods rich in carbohydrates such as barley and bean, and it is said that intake of animal protein is small.

by Migle

The results of this study were presented by medical anthropologists at Vienna Medical University. The research team investigated the tomb of a gladiator in Tepoz Ephesus. In this graveyard there was buried the bones of 67 fighters and one female slave who was seen as a spouse of a gladiator. Researchers say that the cemetery was identified as a buried gladiator because the scene of a fight against a gladiator was drawn in relief on the marble board in the cemetery.

Although all 68 bones were not perfect, the bones, skulls and teeth of the legs and arms remained so researchers could understand the nutritional status of the medical care and gladiator at the time. Researchers used the technique of isotopic analysis to investigate the dietary life at that time can be partially reproduced from calcium and zinc contained in the bones.

The result is that "At that time the gladiator had not taken too much of animal protein and was eating a healthy amount of calcium or carbohydrate-rich legume plants." In Gladiator's " Museum of magazines ", Gladiatori is written as "hordearii" (a person who eats barley), which is consistent with what was said to be "I did not eat meat almost" in this study .

Indeed, many of the gladiators are prisoners of war and sentenced inmates, after the sentence is over Some people became arbitrary gladiators to earn money. For this reason, I look at researchers as "to protect the body" as to why the gladiator was a carbohydrate-centered diet. Fat-covered body does not expose nerve endings. Although it is born as a "visual effect" such as scratching or bleeding, you can keep scratches shallow enough to keep fighting if protected with fat.

If the result of this research is correct, why the question remains as to why the shape of the gladiator was drawn as muscular in the ancient mural paintings etc, but this is "This is like modern people modifying body shape in Photoshop It is said to be "things."

The fact that a gladiator of the time lived a carbohydrate-centered life does not mean that they were unhealthy, or that they received terrible treatment. Rather, the fortress, which is a training place, has a warm floor for winter training, a bath, a medical office, and a water supply, which means that even prisoners were able to receive first-class medical care. Even if you look at the ways to treat wounds of the general people and gladiators, you can see that gladiators are better treated. Also, as the modern athletes take, calcium supplements made from charcoaled plants and bone ash are ingested and the calcium level is overwhelmingly higher than the ordinary people.

by Mike

Because the elite at that time invited a gladiator to a big party, there might have been some gladiator who participated in the party, but many of the gladiators who may die as part of entertainment It is believed that he dared to send a stoic life of carbohydrate center daring for the fight.