The famous ancient Maya cultures were very good at building up strong armies. They would use their strong physique and primitive weapons to win their battles. It was important for these warriors that they were very strong, with high endurance. That was because the would mostly run and walk long distance to battle their opponents. This article will take look at the fearless Maya military and how they would eat. Their diet and physical training were closely intertwined and also connected to their religion.
The Mayan civilisation was one of the most dominant societies of Central America in the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. The earliest Maya settlements date to around 1800 B.C..
Food is a big factor when creating strong warriors. The Mayans were agricultural and were very structural with growing vegetable crops. The combination of the diet and training gave the Maya warriors a strong and sleek body type that enabled them to run long distances and fight on the same day.
The Maya warrior did not have horses or any other pack bearing animals, the warriors would usually have to go on 5k runs or longer just to attack a city. Their food & training routines of the Maya warrior was not to “bulk up” and be non-athletic like bodybuilders. Endurance was the key to survive! They were a mixture between an endurance athlete and a fighter. The big focus was to give the individual person food, which would prepare them with enough energy & strength for long runs & battles.
When these warriors were not in battles they were set to train on a daily basis by practicing mock battles and jogging around their cities.
Because of their physical requirements, the diet of the Maya warrior was unusually high in carbohydrates. Maize provides a rich nutritional carbohydrate food. Maize was grown in their community – together with squash and beans. All three plants work together to produce a nutritious combination of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins.
Corn & maize was so necessary for the mayans, that one of the most important gods in their beliefs was the maize god called Hun Hunahpu.
Quality sources of protein is of course essential to build strong muscles and to stay physically fit. The Maya diet was mostly focused on vegestables of different kinds to get enough protein. Most of their proteins were consumed from beans, maize and legumes, which is more than enough to build great warriors. They would occasionally have some meat in their diet, but they were forced to get it from a combination of deer, skunk pig and dogs. So you can for sure say that these warriors were very close to be fully plant-based.
http://www.teachinghistory100.org/objects/about_the_object/maize_god
https://dailyhistory.org/Why_Were_the_Maya_Such_Excellent_Warriors