#spetz

Today's college athletes have a wealth of nutritional advice and support at their disposal to help them perform at the top of their game. The 1920s were no different, as shown by this 'Training Diet' found in the collection of Ralph Spetz, captain of the UW Track Team in 1923.

Well, maybe a little different... 

"Broiled steak, beef, roast beef, mutton or lamb..." Lean protein? What lean protein? Although, the assertion that all breakfast foods are good was probably truer in an age before marshmallows had a place in cereal. 

Spetz, who graduated from the UW in 1922, studied engineering and made his mark as a sprinter on the track team. He was drafted during the last weeks of the First World War and served as a private in the Military Police Company on campus.

Apparently, his training regimen was enough to keep up with whatever dietary advice he took, as Spetz captained the team in his senior year, becoming the third engineer in a row to do so. 

So how did that diet work out in competition? See for yourself: 

That's Spetz, third from the right, leading the pack. Note the anguished look of the runner second from the left, surely wishing he'd eaten to win. Choosing the day old bread over that tempting fresh loaf can be the difference between triumph and humiliation.

By Elzbieta Beck for UW-Madison Archives