From Olympia to Atlanta: a cultural-historical perspective on diet and athletic training

The Journal of Nutrition
L E Grivetti, E A Applegate

Abstract

Greek and Roman writers described diet and training of Olympic athletes. Lucian (A.D. 120-ca. 180) described distance and speed work in runners; Galen (A.D. 131-201) recommended ball-related exercises to train vision and the body; Philostratos (A.D. 170-249) suggested cross training by endurance running, weight training, and wrestling with animals. The ancient Greek training system, the tetrad (eta tau epsilon tau rho alpha sigma), was a four-day cycle with each day devoted to a different activity. Diogenes Laertius (died A.D. 222) wrote that Greek athletes trained on dried figs, moist cheese and wheat; then the pattern changed and focused on meat. Epictetus (2nd century A.D.) wrote that Olympic victors avoided desserts and cold water and took wine sparingly. Philostratos deprecated athletic diet in his era, a pattern based on white bread sprinkled with poppy seeds, fish and pork. Americans at the XIth Olympiad in Berlin (1936) consumed beefsteak with average daily intake of 125 grams of butter or cotton oil, three eggs, custard for dessert and 1.5 L of milk. The American pattern at Berlin was characterized by ad libitum intake of white bread, dinner rolls, fresh vegetables and salads. At Atlanta, more than 5 million meals will...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1966·The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society·H A Harris

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Citations

Mar 21, 2001·Nutrition Reviews·L Grivetti
Jan 29, 2003·The Annals of Pharmacotherapy·Liubov Louba Ben-Noun
Dec 14, 2018·Frontiers in Physiology·Hélio J Coelho-JúniorBruno Rodrigues
Feb 15, 2001·The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons·M D Silver
Aug 13, 2003·Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care·Faidon Magkos, Mary Yannakoulia
Jan 1, 2011·Journal of Athletic Training·Doug LongKaye Stanek-Krogstrand
May 22, 2019·Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition·Josefine NeblAndreas Hahn
Nov 18, 2018·Science·Louise M Burke, John A Hawley
Mar 28, 2001·Journal of the American Dietetic Association·P ZieglerA Drewnowski
Oct 16, 2021·Nutrition & Dietetics : the Journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia·Dominique Condo, Janelle Gifford
Mar 3, 2006·Pediatrics·Ryan Calfee, Paul Fadale

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