For many, the search leads to extra hours in the gym or a shift in diet. But lately, some have embraced a much less conventional concept – power-charged bracelets – to step up their game.
"Once you wear one piece, it charges your whole body," says J.J. McGlynn, a personal trainer and paid promoter for the Ampli5 metal and leather sports bands launched earlier this year.
Improved energy, flexibility, balance and performance are among the anecdotal claims made about the bracelets, which include either some metal or hologram technology. Manufacturers admit, however, there's barely any scientific evidence it offers anything more than an attitude enhancement.
"While we have received testimonials and responses from around the world about how Power Balance Bracelet has helped people, there is no assurance it can work for everyone," company spokesman Adam Selwyn says via email.
The science behind the bracelets, makers say, is a blend of ancient Eastern medicine and new technology. In unscientific terms, metal in the bands increases communication between nerve cells and muscles, thus improving performance.
Studies conducted on the technology so far have been small, involving about 50 people per test. That's not enough proof that the power is more than mental, says John Gross, a St. Anthony's Hospital sports doctor and assistant chief physician for the Tampa Bay Rays
"The scientific evidence is sketchy at best," says Gross, who says a number of his patients wear the bracelets.
Regardless, Power Balance bands are sold in 40 countries and the company expects more than $35 million in sales in 2010, the Associated Press reports. Its few dollars hologram bracelets have been embraced by professional athletes and celebrities, including baseball player Shane Victorino, quarterback Drew Brees and reality princess Khloe Kardashian.
St. Petersburg-based Ampli5 is much newer, but uses the same sports celebrity concept in marketing its $25 band. Maurico "Shogun" Rua, a professional Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor is among those endorsing the product.
Gross understands why professional athletes embrace the bracelets and comparable products. They're always looking for an edge, physical or psychological.
He calls the power balance bracelets a "placebo effect," meaning it offers a mental advantage to its user. It's no different than golfers who swear they do best using a certain brand of golf ball, Gross says.
"There's a huge mental aspect to the game," he says. "And that's what these power bracelets are aiming at."
A recent unscientific review of Ampli5 and Power Balance bands by 4you was inconclusive, but did show that wearing one can affect your mental outlook. Teen and adult testers wore the bracelets for a week during regular workouts including yoga, soccer, running, cardio exercise and weight lifting.
Initially all the testers were acutely aware of their movements, energy and flexibility and thought something might be different. But the awareness wore off in subsequent workouts, and none were convinced performance improved.
The products haven't been tested by the Food and Drug Administration, meaning none of the companies can claim to cure medical conditions, including problems with balance, joint pain and flexibility, or fatigue.
Marketing steers clear of specific claims and avoids using the word "cure" in any circumstance. Gross says these otherwise harmless products would be crossing the line if they claimed to cure, or suggested people stop other medical treatments
"If somebody puts the bracelet on and thinks that it can cure their cancer or asthma, then that could kill them," he says.
American regulators are not the only ones watching the products. Earlier this year, Australian health officials challenged Power Balance's Bracelet claims, which led to the company's "no-questions-asked money-back guarantee" for anyone who doesn't like the products.
Power Balance says it's confident the bands will continue to be popular, and they've expanded the line to include necklaces and golf and baseball accessories. And others are jumping into the market, including Ampli5 and IRenew, at retailers such as Wal-Mart and Bed, Bath & Beyond,
Gross, the physician, says his job is to help his athletes maximize their performance and not undermine anything that might be an improvement. He has no proof the bracelets do or don't work, so he's supportive of the accessory, for now.
"As a practitioner, I have no reason to discourage them," he says.
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