Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-06-30

The DISTRESSING Hnrdships lie Under
went when Training.

TIRE OlD-TiNE ATHLETE.
The Distressing Hnrdships lie Under
went when rraininE.
In ancient Greece. where athletics
were ms much the rage aH they have
ever been or are ever lilSly to be in this
country--even then there was the much
veXed question OF "amateur vs.. profess
sional" Great care was bestowed on
the training OF the athletes. who car
ried on their exercises In places set
apart for the purpose, and distinct
from the Ordinary gymuasla," Special
officials superlntended the praotlclng
and they had besides a trainer who
looked after their diet regulating their
eating according TO the manner then
approved Of The diet was very differ
ent from that prescribed In modern
days, Anciently, at least. they did not
eat meat at all. The Greek candidate
for prize At the public games was
put on diet OF new cheese. dried ilgs,
boiled grain, milk ana warm wHtcr
Some OF the classical writer's mention
fresh cheese as the only nourlahmcnt
OF the training athlete; others name II
along with dried flgs and wheat, 30
that there must have been at least
some variety. Yet on this apparently
simple hut peculiar diet great prob
clcncy In athletic sports was attained.
The eating OF meat was introduced
later. Those who practlccd the sevcrcr
exercises were fed on pork and a par
,lcular kind OF bread and In the time
OF Diogenes Il appears that the ordl-
nary diet OF the athlete consisted Of
beef and pork One story tells or q
certain Thehnn who lived on goats
flesh. and grew 80 strong that he over
came all the athletes OF his time.
AZ the conclusion Of onch days exer-
cisos every one In training was Obliged
TO take q certain quantity Of food. after
which they were accustomed to sleep
for long time. Some OF the ErenicHt
OF the ancient athletes are said to have
eaten quantities Of food which appear
to us quito Incredible Milo, n celc-
brated Greek athlete OF about 900 -, G.,
who was frequently victorious at the
Olympian, and other gomes. was famed
fer his extraordinary bodily strength,
and many stories We're told OF the featA
he was able TO perform. HIS eRtinH
was On n par with his muscular power.
and Il was told Of him that he carried
a four-year-old heifer on his shoulders
around the olympian reoecourse, and
nfterwnrd ate the whole OF II IN n
single day.
From Greece to modern Is n far
cry, but during all the Intervening cen-
turtles. though manly sports were not
neglected. 1t can hardly be said that
there was such thing as athletic train
ing. In Britain alone there has revived
the old Greek devotion 10 athletic
sports as distinct from the merely
gymnaRtio education which Ia In force
To some extent on the continent. IN
the early days Of modern athletics,
(which do not date very far back,
.ft.If M NHru "A In n L.
and Il is no wonder that the would-be
athlete Rhrnnk from undergoing the
ordeal. aud whom he did venture to
submit. It was only against the earnest
dlnsuasive advice OF his friends ana
relatives For the chief characteristic,
and indeed, the essential part of train
Ing, as then understood, was not the
taking OF proper preparatory exercise
10 train and strengthen the muscles,
hut n sudden and violent change IN
the way Of living Going into training
meant that tho asplrant hnd thence
forth 10 Hubslst on II peculiar diet OF
hnlf-coolSed bcefsteaka and dry bread,
and 10 do with minimum Of llquld.
When the belief prevailed that what
n man ate and drank had more 10 do
with making him n runner than the
practice OF running. the system Of
feeding adopted could hardly fail TO be
erroneous. and glaringly no it was.
The course OF diet In very few cases
could possibly agree with the man who
was trying TO put himself Into corr
dition for great exertlon. and he be-
came III both In body IN mind, The
oldest system. now happily quito n
thing OF the past, was simply that
adopted In training for the prize-ring.
The chief point was 10 reduce the
weight Al all hazards. The utmost
amount OF iiquid allowed 10 be con-
81. Iusf Ntln NJ n
The solids were almost entirely bread
and meat. The natural consequence OF
euch a course was. the necessity for
daily purging medicines. Sweating,
meat eating. and purging, In short,
constituted the old System OF train
ing.
In a curious work giving an account
OF remarkable pedestrian performances
published I'm 1913. the author gave some
advice on training. In which he fol-
lowed the fashion OF tho day, and this
gives a sufficiently clear idea OF what
the unfortunate athletes OF those days
had TO undergo when they went into
training. The diet he recommends In
beef. mutton. stale bread. strong beer.
hnd-GlanberH salts. The necoasRry
exercise n constant running. walking
and sweating. "The patient he says,
lit may be particularly noted that the
adreiy-tried athlete " so far Hympa-
thized with that he is called a patient
'shouid be purged with constant ncdi-
cines. sweated by walking under
load Of clothes and by lying between
feather beds" Fish. vegetables. cheese.
butter and eggs are strictly forbidden.
and an occasional efnetc In nuggested.
The modern athlete may be thankful
that the old nightmare training ayB-
TEN is dead. and that the dictates OF
common -aense, physiology. and prac-
ticnl experience teach that the less
change there requires 10 be made In
the diet on going into training. the bet
ter.