When prisoners live in a prison, they cannot eat what they want as when they are outside. There, they need to eat foods which have been provided where the nutrition and protein may be low, but the fat is high with quick carbs. However, how do they get so buff?
The Reason Why Prisoners Get So Buff
In prisons, there is weight lifting equipment. However, the equipment is usually minimal where it is put in the yards. The prisoners are usually required to do some exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups, and sit ups and then they also work out with the weight lifting equipment available there.
In prisons, prisoners need to lift weights for survival. Even though there is only limited equipment, they need to do that. No wonder why they often do a gym routine because they have a lot of spare time. When they are in prisons, they do not have a lot of activities. If they do not use their time for exercising, they may lay around too much and it is not good for them because it can be a bad habit that they can carry over to their life after they are released from the prison.
Another reason why they are buff is that in general they have higher testosterone than the average male. Prisoners are usually still young and when males are in their late teens and 20’s, they have the highest testosterone. And even according to a user of Quora, they have high testosterone because the environment in a prison is aggressive and competitive so that it causes their testosterone to increase. So, what’s the connection with their buff body? Testosterone has a function in protein synthesis where it is a process of building muscles.
During prisoners in prisons, they get enough sleep and they also do not consume alcohol. Every day, the prisoners have almost the same routine starting from waking up until they go to bed. So, since they get enough sleep and do not consume alcohol, they can build muscles because alcohol and lack of sleep are two bad things that can hinder the form of muscles.
There is also a possibility that they consume steroids. Even though we do not know how they can get the access, but there is the possibility for them to do that. And if it is true that they consume steroids, then it can increase their muscles’ growth.
Do Bad Meals Make Prisoners Buff?
Since the foods that prisoners consume in prisons are not high in nutrition, so it seems that foods are not the factor why prisoners are buff. As explained earlier, the reasons why they are buff are exercising, high testosterone, having enough sleep, and not consuming alcohol.
So, what foods are consumed by prisoners? According to the Marshall Project site, here are the examples of two common meals in a prison.
- For Breakfast
• ½ cup canned fruit
• ½ cup fruit juice
• 1 cup 2 percent milk
• Coffee, but it is optional
• 1 cup cold cereal and 1 cup 2% milk
• 3 servings margarine
• 1 biscuit and 1 ½ cups “country gravy” - For Dinner
• 1 slice of cake
• 2 pieces of cornbread
• 1 cup vitamin beverage
• 1 cup of beans
• 2 servings margarine
•1 ¼ cup of meat-fried rice
Usually, they are served 2,818 calories per day where the price is around $1.77 per meal on average and there is no lunch. Prisons need to skimp because they have to feed a lot of prisoners every day and food with carbohydrates and fats are cheaper.
And here are the other menus in a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner at a prison where it contains 1,782 calories per day.
- For Breakfast
• 6 oz. pineapple juice
• 8 oz. 2 percent milk
• Coffee
• ½ cup cream of wheat
• 3 oz. scrambled eggs
• 1 margarine and 1 slice whole wheat bread - For Lunch
• 1 slice apple cobbler
• Milk and 1 margarine
• Coffee
• ½ cup green beans and 1 slice whole wheat bread
• ½ cup mashed potatoes
• 3 oz. roast turkey, poultry gravy and ¼ cup cornbread stuffing - For Dinner
• ½ cup chilled apricots
• Milk
• Coffee
• 1 cup tossed salad
• 1 cup chicken and dumplings
The menus above are the examples of menus in a prison, but the menus in every prison and also how many times they eat can be different.
Besides from the foods which are provided by the prisons, prisoners also have the option to buy items from the prison commissary and for doing it they must have funds in their accounts.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
