There was a time when balance bracelets exploded, remember? We would all go for a run and buy those bracelets, then we would say, “Look, dude, now I’m going to stand on one leg without wearing the bracelet, and with a bracelet, you won’t let me fall,” and we believed that the bracelet gave us a supernatural power.
These balance bracelets, which are used by millions of people not only in our country, but all over the world, and even bought after making sure that they are licensed, seem to do nothing but create a placebo effect. Based on scientific data, let’s learn together how balance bracelets are no different from any rope we can tie on our arm.
Indeed, how did these bracelets become so popular?
Although Power Balance, which is claimed to be produced using holographic technology, first appeared in 2008, the real sales boom started in 2010 when the famous professional surfer Bruce Irons wore this bracelet.
Brands selling such wristbands stated that there is an energy field in the human body in the bracelets they gave on their websites, and this energy field could be affected by the hologram and be stronger and more balanced.
Of course, there was no place in the scientific world for balance bracelets to acquire. As a result, it was not possible to be stronger or feel more energetic with a jewelry worn on the wrist, foot or any other part of the body, and the scientific world needed scientific data to believe this. For this reason, various studies were started on balance bracelets, and although the results were not satisfactory for anyone, people continued to wear these bracelets for a long time.
The results of the research conducted on 42 professional athletes:
By dividing the effect of balance bracelets into four (flexibility, balance, strength, jumping), scientists began to extensively investigate whether the bracelets make any changes on these values.
42 athletes professionally engaged in this work in the USA participated in the research conducted by the American Council on Exercise. The athletes first performed in 4 different activities listed above without warming up, together with the original wristbands of the Power Balance brand.
The same athletes then performed the same with the wristbands, unaware that they were fake, and the results were truly surprising;
As you can see from the table, there is no difference between the registered bracelet of the Power Balance brand and the effect of the fake bracelet on the human body. It can even be said that athletes who wear fake wristbands perform better than original wristbands due to the placebo effect.
In another study by scientists from the University of Texas, the result was no different. In this study, in which 10 men and 14 women participated in total, the performances of the participants with Power Balance wristbands, with and without placebo wristbands were recorded with the MicroFit system.
Participants in three different activities on flexibility, strength and balance performed the same as they did in other conditions when wearing the original Power Balance wristbands.
So how come we feel more energetic or powerful when we wear this bracelet?
Actually, there is only one answer to this question; placebo. When we wear the bracelet, we naturally have an expectation from it and we can feel more energetic, strong or balanced because we are sure that it works. Dozens of studies have already proven that it is not possible for us to be stronger thanks to the bracelet, such as the scientific resources we have mentioned above. So the reason you feel more energetic or more balanced is not because of the bracelet, but because of the power of the mind.
Conclusion: I hope you didn’t pay big bucks for these bracelets on time.
As you can see, Power Balance bracelets do not have any positive effect on the human body. The worst part is that these bracelets, which are always sought for originals when they are wanted to be bought, and can now be found for 20-30 TL, were sold at exorbitant prices of 70, 80 TL at the time (between 2010 and 2011).
Sources: American Council on Exercise, University of Texas, USA
14487
