Placebo effect on strength: published scientific studies

Ness and Paton experiment (1979). Beginning weightlifters lifted 20 lbs (7-9 kg) more weight on the incline bench press than they “really can.” As? They were told they were lifting the weight they were capable of lifting and were unaware that the researchers actually put more weight on the bar than they led the participants to believe. You might be thinking “They’re just beginners, no wonder their strength goes up pretty fast”. But look at the results of Mahoney’s (1995) experiment: even Olympic weightlifters, who didn’t know what weight they were lifting (and the actual weight on the bar was higher than they can normally lift), improved their personal records and some lifters increased their snatch. for as much as 20+ lbs.

Ariel and Saville experiment (1972). The participants were lifters who had trained regularly for years prior to the experiment. The first phase was 7 weeks of control (during this phase there was no intervention; it was used to see how much strength the lifters would gain while training as usual). Second phase – 4 weeks on “steroids”. During those 4 weeks, the participants received “steroids,” which were actually placebo pills.

RESULTS: During the 7-week control, the lifters increased their lifts on average by:

– Bench press + 4.54 kg (10 lbs)
– Overhead Press + 0.73 (1.5)
– Seated military press + 2.27 (5)
– Squat + 2.65 (6)

RESULTS: During 4 weeks “on steroids”, the lifters increased their strength on average by:

– Bench press + 13.28 kg (30 lbs)
– Overhead Press + 7.59 (18 )
– Seated military press + 5.30 (12)
– Squats + 18.94 (42.5)

Maganaris, Collins, Sharp (2000) experiment. Participants: 11 weightlifters, who have been training for a couple of years. Participants increased each of their power lifts by an average of 10 kg (more than 20 pounds) (totaling approximately 60 pounds or more of increase in force). You may be wondering “How long did it take to get these results?” The answer is… 10 minutes! It is not a typo. This result was achieved in 10 minutes. Participants were given “fast-acting anabolic steroids” (which were actually a placebo) and after ten minutes they made gains, which typically take months and years for an experienced lifter to achieve.

And remember, the information written above is not anecdotal evidence, this information is based on SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. Of course, scientific experiments have their own biases and limitations, and are obviously not something “you can’t touch”. But they are still a more reliable source of information than anecdotal evidence, and you can use them in your own academic research as well.