# Power Balance wristbands, what's going on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-balance-wristbands-whats-going-on/542978 "2010-06-13T02:16:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-balance-wristbands-whats-going-on/542978/21 "2010-06-14T01:56:26Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Recently I was visiting a friend who was wearing one; I had never heard of them. Her husband and a partner are selling them as a sideline and doing well. He’s a smart guy and all, so I was kind of appalled. But plenty of the people selling them buy into it as well. How many do you think he would sell if he said he didn’t use them and they were worthless? ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-balance-wristbands-whats-going-on/542978/22 "2010-06-14T02:04:16Z")
Check out these Skeptic Zone podcasts: they’ve done an excellent job debunking power balance and also all the other variations that come under “applied kinesiology” in general. > **[skepticzonepodcast](https://www.youtube.com/user/skepticzonepodcast#p/u/5/Ynbx5JfEwcA)** > > Share your videos with friends, family, and the world [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Piu75P8sxTo/hqdefault.jpg "Applied Kinesiology - How it's Done") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Piu75P8sxTo) ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-balance-wristbands-whats-going-on/542978/23 "2010-06-14T02:08:48Z")
Placebo effect makes you think something is better, it doesn’t actually make it better and is mostly confined to subjective experience rather than objective measures. The player performance probably doesnt improve in any measurable effect at all, it would be quite easy to track before/after effects after all. So its utility in sports even with this argument is dubious. And they may result in a ‘nocebo’ effect where the person believes they will do worse if they lose the use of the item, and that belief can quite definitely impact on player performance. So the unfortunate thing is if they’re banned, the people in question will likely view that as ‘proof’ that it wasnt working, reinforcing the belief that these kinds of things are helpful when they really arent. Otara ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-balance-wristbands-whats-going-on/542978/24 "2010-06-14T03:00:57Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > How many do you think he would sell if he said he didn’t use them and they were worthless? True, but you’ll just have to take my word for it that he does buy into it himself. It’s not like he’s the manufacturer–he’s more like the Tupperware lady. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-balance-wristbands-whats-going-on/542978/25 "2010-06-14T03:10:11Z")
Perhaps he really thinks they work. Perhaps he doesn’t, and is knowingly peddling a fraudulent product. I guess we’ll never know unless he tells us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-balance-wristbands-whats-going-on/542978.md?page=1)