I remember reading that Harry Wills would fast for some months every year. Does anyone know if he was training and or boxing while he was fasting? That seems so hard to do. It's interesting how varied some of these guys training methods were.
Supposedly he fasted during February because it's the shortest month and a slow one for boxing. Who knows, maybe that's why in 1915/16 he was able to beat Langford in December, January, March and April but not in February!
Since you point it out, most of his losses seem to have taken place in February! Have you perhaps stumbled upon something important here?
I think it's bull**** personally. 28 days without food, he would emerge form it an emaciated skeletor type to be named among the twenty greatest starvation stories in history. Ghandi managed only 20 days.
There was a guy back in the 70's who claimed he never ate food, just lived on air. He was on all the talk shows. But he wasn't a boxer.
well isn't that something! I believe that fasting is good for you, but for a world level boxer? I can't imagine boxing without having eaten in days. That sounds extremely difficult. Although I also can't imagine boxing matches with 45 rounds, but appearantly it happened.
fasting has good effects, but like mcgrain said, not eating for 28 days is obviously bad. do you know any details about his regime?
Having fasted quite abit during my life, the longest on just water 12 days, no one could go into the ring after two or three days with just water and do well, most wouldn't make it through the first round as by then a deep cleaning starts and the body shuts off any unneeded expending of energy, you get tired and weak pretty fast. Harry may have used juices and teas which became the more popular form of fasting in the teens and twenties, advocated by naturopathic clinics over just water. In that case he could have done alright, I've been strong as ever after five days on this type but after that one's energy and stamina goes down hill pretty clearly. No he could not have water fasted for more then a few days and still held up in a boxing ring.
