The Barley Men of Rome

Gladiators were among the fittest athletes in the world - and they were vegan.

Roman gladiators, also known as hordearii, (which translates directly as "The Barley Men") owed their peak physical condition to a predominately vegan diet of beans and barley.  Their low fat high carb diet provided them improved blood flow and cardiovascular health, while also providing more than enough protein to build enormously powerful physiques.

While some moronic archaeologists assume the gladiators must have been fat due to the huge amounts of carbs they consumed, images from ancient Rome depict men that look more like body builders than lard butts.  There are no images of fat gladiators to be found in the ancient mosaics or murals of Rome.

It also seems the same boneheaded archaeologists who assume gladiators must have been fat, despite all evidence to the contrary, also assume they must have been calcium deficient, due to the lack of cows milk in their diet.  In fact, a recent study of gladiator bones showed that they were so strong and robust that the archaeologists speculated they must have been drinking a plant ash beverage.

Interestingly enough, cows milk has been linked to an increased risk of hip fracture, which is a key indicator of bone health.  It turns out that green vegetables and beans provide more than enough calcium to meet human needs due to an increased uptake efficiency in vegans.  Vegans have exceptional bone health, just as the ancient gladiators did.  In fact, many doctors now believe that exercise, and the kind of protein a person consumes, play an even bigger role in bone health than calcium intake does, which would further explain the excellent state of gladiator bone health.

Modern day vegan athletes have proven conclusively that a low fat high carb vegan diet is an ideal source of nutrients for those wishing to maximize athletic performance.  World record holding strongmen, world record holding Olympic track runners, champion MMA fighters, and world record holding ultra-marathon runners, all show us that a low fat high carb vegan diet does not result in fat bodies, but rather exceptional health, strength and endurance.