3 Products athletes swear by but science calls bullsh*t on - plus one lesser known that might actual

If you believe taking a pill makes you faster and because of this, you actually run faster, does the pill make you run faster? Some pretty high profile athletes seem to think so. However, lawyers, scientists, and the bank accounts of those companies who are really only marketing a placebo say otherwise. Check out who makes the sh*t list and what products really are 2 legit 2 quit.

Altitude simulating (hypoxic) training masks

Do they make you look cool? Yeah, kinda. Do they restrict your rate of air intake? Absolutely. Do the physiological effects and results exercisers associate with them compare to those clinically proven by altitude training? Nope.

Hypoxic training at altitude has been proven time and time again to illicit significant improvement in cardiovascular endurance in athletes across many sports. When studied, participants wearing the training mask did not receive the performance enhancing benefits that true hypoxic training at altitude provides (that of enhancing your VO2Max – ie. improving your body’s oxygen consumption efficiency). What they did get, however, is the ability to blow harder…which this product definitely does.

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Kinesio Tape

It seems like one day we all woke up and every athlete’s body parts were being held together by tape; cool looking neon tape at that. One might even say it looked like SUPER tape that could keep you from getting injured and improve your athletic performance. Only it couldn’t…and it can’t. And one brand in particular lost a $1.75 million dollar bet that it did.

KT Tape recently settled a lawsuit challenging their claims that their product helped prevent injury, which means two things: 1) They couldn’t find a lab who could back up their claim for less than $1.75 million, 2) Tape on the outside of your body (that isn't structural or restrictive) can’t stop you from tearing muscles inside your body. Who knew?

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Glucosamine Chondroitin

This might be the longest running health and fitness scam out there. Hands up, anyone who has suffered from sore knees due to sport? I thought so. How many of you would take a pill every day if it could make that knee pain go away? Totally, me too! Now, how many of you prefer to be taken out for dinner and a movie before you get f*cked? I figured, because the only way this little pill will take your mind off of your knee pain is if its forced into your skull via your ear hole.

Glucomsamine Chondroitin was developed to aid osteoarthritic patients rebuild cartilage in their joints. And to some degree, it did (though now there is literature to suggest otherwise). Somewhere along the line, someone in a position of influence decided that it could do the same in those who suffer from knee pain but do not have osteoarthritis. It doesn’t. While I would like to point a finger at the offending company, unfortunately there isn’t one, rather, there’s now a bunch that indirectly propagate this myth. But don’t be fooled; and for the love of God say no to dinner and a movie...now that you know how it ends.

Are vitamins and supplements actually a scam? The answer might surprise you.

For all the shamrocks and shenanigans out there, there are actually products that work, and not only do what they say they’ll do, but sometimes even do it better than advertised...or their side-benefits aren't advertised at all:

Pickle Juice

Say what? I said pickle juice son! We know that overuse and dehydration contribute to muscle cramps. Some people are more prone than others to the big squeeze, but studies show that a big ol’ gulp of PJ relieves the affects of exercise related muscle cramps 37% faster than water. Research has shown that as little as 2.5 oz of pickle juice, 30-60 minutes before exercise, can keep you out of muscle cramp hell…beats having to sit and church and pray for relief every Sunday.

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#supplements #fitness #performance #sports