Can Placebo Make You Run Faster? Apparently It Can

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Can Placebo Make You Run Faster? Apparently It Can

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=44029

Can the placebo effect make a person run faster? Yes, it can. The

American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's nonprofit fitness

advocate, is pleased to announce the results of exclusive research

that measured what happens when athletes think they're getting an

extra boost in the form of " super-oxygenated " water.

The ACE-commissioned study was led by Otto, P. Porcari,

Ph.D., and Carl , Ph.D., at the University of Wisconsin, La

Crosse. The research team tested thirty-two healthy volunteers that

represented both competitive and recreational runners who ran a

minimum of 7.3 miles per week.

Study participants were told that they were involved in a study to

measure the effects of super-oxygenated water (SOW) on exercise

performance. Each volunteer watched a short video detailing the

purported beneficial effects of SOW and how their performance might

be enhanced by drinking SOW before a race.

After preliminary tests to determine their fitness levels, each

subject ran three separate non-paced 5-km time trials. The runs

involved half the subjects drinking 16 ounces of bottled water or 16

ounces of what they thought was SOW (but was, in fact, tap water).

During each trial, heart rate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE)

were measured, while blood lactate concentration and running

performance time were measured.

The results show that during the placebo trial, on average subjects

ran 83 seconds faster, when they thought they were drinking SOW with

84 percent or 27 of 32 subjects running faster during the placebo

trial. Heart rate, RPE and blood lactate levels were virtually the

same between the two conditions.

" Over the years, placebo studies have shown that subjects who believe

that they are receiving beneficial treatment often experience a

variety positive outcomes, " said Dr. Cedric , ACE chief

exercise physiologist. " There clearly is a strong connection between

the mind and body as it relates to physical performance. "

In 2001, ACE sponsored a study to test the claims made by

manufacturers of super-oxygenated waters. The study, conducted by the

Human Performance Research Lab at the University of Wisconsin, La

Crosse, revealed that drinking super-oxygenated water had no

measurable effect on heart rate, blood pressure or blood lactate

values during sub-maximal and maximal exercise tests. At the time,

researchers concluded that any potential benefits of super-oxygenated

water would undoubtedly be attributed to the placebo effect.

Complete study results appear in the May/June 2006 edition of ACE

Fitness Matters magazine or on the ACE Web site at

acefitness.org/getfit/PlaceboStudy2006.pdf.