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Its interesting that as fighters changed the idea of how to enhance one's body has changed as well. We have steriod use and the idea seems to be that basic athletic qualities like endurance and strength can be improved considerably (worth the risk). One primary advantage is aceleration of healing which is often overlooked when discussing muscle growth and endurance (blood doping methods primarily).
Fighters are always looking for an advantage but: what is percieved as an advantage has changed historically, and it has changed considerably! back in times from around the late 17 hundreds on up to the 30's nutrition was based on the idea of nourishment. It was thought that eating meat particularly provided health to the blood, and muscle structure. The average fighter had no need to modify this diet in any marked way, rather the idea was to eat enough, not overeat, and to drink in moderation. This was thought to be the optimum one could attain regarding diet.
Trainers like Muldoon, a wrestler, trainer who worked with Sullivan later on was considered state of the art. He advocated many exerscize strategies we see today vis a vis in slightly different form....he also was heavily influenced by the temperace movement which saw all alcohol use as bad....moderation was not a choice to these individuals.
During the time of Sullivan, before him and even until the early days of using gloves (mufflers)...the primary thing to be enhanced were the hands. many preperations were used to harden the hands....linseed oil, mustard seed, turpentine, various herbs in tincture (alcohol solution) were prepared...often dipping wrappings in these solutions and keeping the hands covered.
It seems that hands, as the transmitters were seen as the primary thing that needed to be enhanced. This makes sense considering that fighters broke hands often. it took a lot of skill to keep the wrist straight during contact with punches to harder areas. It was thought that if the hand could bare more of this weight it would give the fighter a tremendous advantage.
So does anyone know of any other enhancers? and we can certainly discuss some examples of cheaters gettting caught enhancing the body! margarito comes to mind for example.
Fighters are always looking for an advantage but: what is percieved as an advantage has changed historically, and it has changed considerably! back in times from around the late 17 hundreds on up to the 30's nutrition was based on the idea of nourishment. It was thought that eating meat particularly provided health to the blood, and muscle structure. The average fighter had no need to modify this diet in any marked way, rather the idea was to eat enough, not overeat, and to drink in moderation. This was thought to be the optimum one could attain regarding diet.
Trainers like Muldoon, a wrestler, trainer who worked with Sullivan later on was considered state of the art. He advocated many exerscize strategies we see today vis a vis in slightly different form....he also was heavily influenced by the temperace movement which saw all alcohol use as bad....moderation was not a choice to these individuals.
During the time of Sullivan, before him and even until the early days of using gloves (mufflers)...the primary thing to be enhanced were the hands. many preperations were used to harden the hands....linseed oil, mustard seed, turpentine, various herbs in tincture (alcohol solution) were prepared...often dipping wrappings in these solutions and keeping the hands covered.
It seems that hands, as the transmitters were seen as the primary thing that needed to be enhanced. This makes sense considering that fighters broke hands often. it took a lot of skill to keep the wrist straight during contact with punches to harder areas. It was thought that if the hand could bare more of this weight it would give the fighter a tremendous advantage.
So does anyone know of any other enhancers? and we can certainly discuss some examples of cheaters gettting caught enhancing the body! margarito comes to mind for example.
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