The Sports Doc Chalk Talk

Many athletes struggle with sport retirement, and not because they have all experienced brain damage or concussions (although that sometimes occurs).  The more prevalent reasons for difficulties experienced during sport retirement have to do with psychosocial factors, including the identity and athlete develops, as well as the lack of programming available to athletes when they are no longer able to play.  Of course, every athlete experiences sport retirement in his or her own unique ways, but on this video I discuss some of the common issues athletes experience during this abrupt and often difficult transition.

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I am very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to work one-on-one with many amazing athletes during the course of my career, and from those experiences I can emphatically state that in the vast majority of cases the success these athletes accomplished did not happen as a result of casual efforts, but instead due to a lot of hard work, mental toughness, and perseverance.  Similarly, I have also been lucky to teach many college psychology courses over the years, and again, the most successful students I have had in class weren’t “naturally gifted,” but instead the hardest workers in class. Are you starting to see a connection here?

Nature v. Nurture

Often we make the mistake of attributing the success seen in others (athletes, students, etc.) to their natural abilities, and while genetics certainly do contribute to our abilities, it’s actually the work we put in that matters the most. In sports, some athletes do have an advantage over others because of their natural size, speed, or strength — but if they rely exclusively on those gifts and do not put in the work needed to continually improve, it’s very likely they will “max out” early in life and fall short of reaching their full potential.  Conversely, and perhaps more interestingly, athletes who are average in natural abilities – but develop a strong work ethic and mental toughness – often make up for their average physical abilities through their motivation and effort.

Excellence in the classroom is really no different — simply having natural abilities in math, science, or foreign language will only take a person so far without putting in the work needed to continue to excel.  Most students can only “show up” for so long before being awakened to the fact that if you want to acheive excellence, it won’t happen through casual efforts.

We often do not see all the extra time, work, and effort great athletes, students, and business people put into their craft that allows them to become the best.  Instead, we tend to overlook or ignore all of these efforts, and falsely assume these people had God-given natural abilities that lead to their success.

The Value of a Strong Work Ethic

In my direct experience working with many outstanding athletes, as well as  everyday people, the common denominator to their success has always been a strong work ethic. These are the people who are first to practice and the last to leave — and they are the most resilient when it comes to dealing with stress, frustration, adversity, and failure.  They really don’t have as many natural advantages over the competition as you might think.  Instead, they simply want it more.

Yes, it really is the “blood, sweat, and tears” that is at the core of champions, or everyday people who seem to excel at whatever it is they do.  The reality is there is no substitute for hard work, and our natural abilities can compensate for causal work efforts for only so long.  The good news, however, is that a strong work ethic will not only level the playing field, but it can actually lead to even greater success when compared to the individual with the natural talent but a minimal work ethic. 

Find passion and purpose in what you do, and develop a conviction toward your future success.  If you do, you will be amazed at how quickly things change for the better in your life, and how these positive changes will be a result of the efforts you put into your craft.

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Having studied psychology and mental health disorders for many years (as well as being a licensed practicing clinician), I have long been troubled by the trend for doctors to quickly prescribe anti-depressants to their patients without first encouraging other, safer alternatives.  Since the 1990′s, increasingly more doctors have quickly bypassed recommending things like professional counseling, exercise, or trying new hobbies and interests (all things that can really help with mood state), and instead quickly scribbled out scripts for anti-depressants.  Of course, if these new pills worked significantly better than the other ideas I just presented, and if these pills were 100% safe, I don’t think using them would be much of a concern.  Unfortunately, that’s simply not the case.

Last night 60 Minutes ran a segment on the efficacy of anti-depressants versus placebo effects, citing Harvard social scientist Irving Kirsch’s discoveries when evaluating real anti-depressant medications against placebos (or sugar pills).  Kirsch’s findings were really nothing new, and certainly not any different than what other research scientists have known for years — that is, anti-depressants only “work” because of the belief the patient has when using them, and not due to the chemical properties of the drugs themselves.  In other words, the changes patients claim they experience are due to the placebo effect, not the medication.

The problem, however, is that in the United States we are constantly bombarded with really great advertising that tells us if we are depressed, the answer to our problems might just be one quick office visit away.  As one of only two countries in the world that allows for direct drug marketing to consumers on television, these fancy ads coupled with our intense desire to get better provide for the perfect storm, so to speak.  In other words, when we feel depressed and are “ripe” for an answer, and then see a 30 second ad of a Zoloft egg bouncing around happy, it’s easy to see why so many potential consumers light up with excitement and quickly schedule a visit with their doctor as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the problems we experience in life don’t simply “go away” by taking a pill (similarly to how they don’t go away from getting drunk, either).  The problems at home, mounting bills, and battles with health problems don’t get better by taking a pill — these situations only improve by learning important life coping skills.

So why are anti-depressants so widespread if:

A) they have been scientifically found to not work any better than a sugar pill, and

B) they put the patient at great risk for side-, interaction-, and withdrawal effects — check the black box warnings to learn more

Listed below are some of the big reasons why so many people continue to be prescribed these drugs:

• There is huge money in pharmaceuticals today, and these companies are not afraid to spend money.  This is the reason why we see so many ads today, and the more of the ads we see the more confident we become that these drugs really “work.”  Most people figure that if they see something enough, it must be true – this is called the mere exposure effect.
• Patients often ask their doctors directly for these medications, and often doctors are happy to acquiesce.  In some cases, doctors really believe in the value of anti-depressants, while in other cases doctors assume the placebo effect will “work” and that the potential side effects are worth the risk.  In other cases doctors know that patients expect to be given drugs during medical appointments, and would feel short-changed if the doctor told them the real things that help with mood state – like counseling and exercise programs.
• When clients do experience side effects, in most cases they continue to use these drugs because they blame the side effects on their disorder (i.e. depression), and not the medications!  In fact, in some cases patients take even more of the medication in order to overcome the side effects.

While we would all love to find a quick fix for our problems in life, the reality is these answers are not in the form of anti-depressant pills (as science is revealing through ongoing empirical findings).  Scott Peck, author of the popular The Road Less Traveled, starts his book with one very important sentence:

Life is difficult.

Think about that for a moment — the problems we face in life are difficult, and success doesn’t happen from casual efforts.  We need to also remember that there are no fast “silver bullet” answers when it comes to life’s problems, even if we wish there were.  Anti-depressants, which work no better than placebos and carry many potential problems with them, should not be the first thing we seek when we hit rough waters in life.  Instead, learning life skills like communication skills, conflict resolution, and stress reducing techniques should be tried first, along with developing a physical exercise program.  Most people dramatically improve their mood state from just those life changes, and professional counseling can help round out the self-improvement process for those still looking for even better improvement. 

Check out our Life Wellness programs to help improve mood state and the quality of your life!

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Athletes and injuries are nothing new, but did you know that the ways in which athletes recover from injuries today — and the potential problems that often follow after being prescribed pain pills — is very new, and quite alarming.  With sports being physical (and athletes becoming bigger, stronger, and faster), it’s not uncommon for an athlete to deal with an injury at some point in his or her career.  The problem, however, is usually not the injury itself (most heal successfully over time), but instead the injury recovery aftercare process that often includes prescription pain killer medication (i.e. oxycodone, vicodin, and other opiates).  Ironically, as the injury begins to get better, the pain pill addiction often becomes worse, all leading to very serious problems for athletes caught in this predicament (AHPS).

Athletes At-Risk

Delving deeper, it may not even be the pain pills that are the real problem these days, as pain pills have been prescribed by doctors to athletes for many years.  The real problem, it seems, is that increasingly more athletes are being left on pain pill prescriptions far beyond what is needed, creating a very strong physical addiction to the medication. It’s at this precise point where the real problems develop — where the athlete has become addicted to the opiate high, but his or her script has been terminated and the cravings still persist.  Sadly, more and more athletes are turning to hard-core street drugs like heroin (a relatively cheap opiate) to continue and satisfy their cravings.

For most people, the thought of a heroin-addicted person is very different than the thought of a current or former athlete in fantastic physical condition and widely popular with his or her peers.  Instead, most people think of a heroin addict as a strung-out junkie, dirty and homeless, hanging around on a street corner soliciting for a few cents.  In 2012 those folks still exist, but so, too, do a new breed of addicted heroin addicts that used to be amazingly skilled athletes.

When athletes become addicted to pain pills and their prescription runs out, their cravings do not end.  It is at this point where they have the following three choices:

a) Try to ween themselves off their addiction

b) Purchase pain pills off the street (they have become widely available, though not cheap)

c) Move onto to a more readily available, and cheaper, street drug (usually heroin)

Unfortunately, when athletes don’t stop using yet no longer have a prescription to fill, they often turn to buying pain pills and/or heroin to prevent them from getting sick from not having the drug.  In other words, they need the drug just to stay well. In these examples, athletes will sometimes sell things or even steal just so they can stay high and not experience the terrible withdrawal effects of “coming down.”  This is why we sometimes see previously upstanding people do things we could never imagine them doing (i.e. stealing, holding up banks, and even prostituting for money) just so they can feed their addiction.  And with heroin becoming so widely available, and relatively cheap, it’s easy to see where this story is headed.

Tips to Help

If you are a parent, coach, or an athlete who has a direct experience with pain pill (or heroin) usage/addiction, please consider the following tips and insights to help:

• First, if you are an athlete dealing with an injury talk to your doctor directly and explicitly about what alternatives there are (beyond opiates) to help manage and control your pain.  Pain pills are extremely addictive, so please consider them only as a last-resort option.
• If pain pills are prescribed, work with your doctor to explore the differences amongst the available medications, as well as pill strength (milligrams).  It goes without saying that you should always choose the lowest amount of pill strength to manage your pain, if possible
• If you are feeling better yet still have refills available, talk to your doctor about destroying the prescription so that the temptation to refill the script will no longer exist.
• If you are feeling addicted to pain pills (or heroin), STOP AND GET HELP.  Every medical expert agrees that these are drugs that are incredibly difficult to stop using on your own, and it is likely that you will need professional assistance to help with both the physiological and psychological symptoms and side effects.

Final Thoughts

As a clinician who regularly assists athletes, I have personally seen a spike in the number of athletes caught up in pain pills (and a few that moved onto heroin as a cheap alternative).  It’s astonishing how quickly this type of addiction occurs, and once it does it seems as though it is almost impossible to beat.  Unlike other non-opiate drugs, athletes who are innocently prescribed opiate pain pills to help manage an athletic injury are unknowingly rolling the dice with what could be a precursor to bigger future addiction problems.  It is for this reason that the entire athletic community – including athletes, coaches, parents, administrators, and sports medicine physicians – all need to tune in and take seriously the tragic potential consequences of pain pills and injured athletes.

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The Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (DSM), published by the American Psychological Association, is widely accepted as the bible for mental health descriptions and conditions.  The book has been updated several times over the years, and is slated for it’s next update in 2013.  If you have never seen the DSM before (and it’s likely you haven’t), you might be surprised at the depth and breadth of the number of “disorders” presented, and if you look close enough you might even find that you fit the criteria of one of them.  In fact, critics have argued that the DSM has become too liberal with identifying “new” disorders, as well as loosening the criteria needed to “qualify” for a disorder.

Mental Illness

So, what is mental illness, anyway?  Interestingly, there are many different ways to examine mental illness, and to some extent, what one person might see as “mentally ill” the next person might see as “quirky,” “creative,” or just “different.”  In fact, it is from this perspective that some are wondering if the DSM is becoming so loose in its defining mental illnesses that nearly everyone could be diagnosed with something — leaving conspiracy theorists to surmise that once these “disorders” are labeled, pharmaceutical companies end up being the true winners as the manufacturers of the drugs that psychiatrists recommend their patients use to address their problems.

If you were to develop a continuum of people ranging from those who seem relatively healthy and stable on one side, to those with clear mental problems/limitations (i.e. of harm to oneself or others) on the other, it’s actually all the people in the middle who are the ones that seem to be of the greatest interest to mental health professionals.  Who is “normal” versus “abnormal?”  And who needs to be “put on something” versus who might benefit from just a couple lifestyle changes and possibly therapy?  It is here where the debates rage, and where the DSM (and it’s ever-changing criteria) end up having real consequences for real people.

Having taught clinical psychology at the college level, it has always been an entertaining classroom discussion to hear students ponder over what’s normal, abnormal, quirky, odd, and different — as well as what people should be diagnosed with something, and what people should be put on something.  As the DSM evolves and spells out “disorders” for clinicians, decisions are made that in many cases lead to the prescription of one (or many) medications – some that include serious side effect concerns.  The other problems that often occur when a person is diagnosed with a mental illness are the following:

• Patients often overly-value the benefits of their new medication, and as a result place less emphasis on behavioral changes (after all, only the drug can fix their problems, right?)
• Patients often believe they are permanently “branded” with the mental disorder for the rest of their life (and therefore need to continue on using their medications forever).  Of course, in some cases medications may be needed to protect the patient from danger to himself (or others), but in many other cases positive changes occur in the patient’s life, leaving him less needy of the drug (i.e. he is no longer depressed).

The Impact of the DSM, Treatment Decisions, and Future Consequences

Unfortunately, for potential clients in the United States today seeking therapy they will likely need a DSM mental disorder code in order for their insurer to reimburse.  This is unfortunate for a number of reasons, including the fact that a disorder needs to be “found” – which often leads to an even bigger problem of a self-fulfilling prophecy.  For example, the person seeking assistance after going through a tough divorce may come to believe that she is depressed – and depression lasts for a lifetime – and the only way to control the depression is by taking several different pills each day.  Without a DSM diagnosis, the odds of an insurance company helping out a patient who is simply going through a tough time in life is almost zero.  Sadly, once a patient receives her diagnosis, it often only serves as a really bad lifelong tattoo, re-emerging during times like when the individual applies for future life and/or health insurance (she will now be a “high-risk,” and pay a ton more for her coverage).

Getting back to the original discussion, it’s interesting to see what the new DSM will evolve into in 2013.  If, as critics warn, the diagnoses become even more liberal (you should read some of the criteria to see what I am referring to), more people will soon learn they have “something,” and likely will feel the immediate need to remedy and temper their condition by quickly going on some kind of drug(s).  Skeptics wonder if it will be this new disorder discovery, coupled by the new drugs these patients take, that end up causing the real problems — and not the initial concern for the call to the doctor.  Interesting to think about, isn’t it?

Check out our Life Success Audio programs – designed to help with human happiness, health, and life productivity!

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As 2011 comes to an end and the new year approaches, millions of people worldwide are giving thought to what resolutions they would like to achieve in the coming year.  For many, the goals will be fairly common ones, such as losing weight, quitting smoking, or getting back in shape.  For others, the goals may be more unique and include ideas around becoming a better spouse, or earning a promotion at work.  Regardless of what resolutions you set for 2012, the bigger challenge that looms for all goal setters is adhering to the goals (also known as goal compliance).  In other words, developing mental toughness and actually doing what you want to do.

Throughout my life I have always appreciated little tidbits of motivational advice – one that I think about almost on a daily basis is the following:

“Ideas are a dime a dozen, but putting ideas into action is priceless”

It is from this perspective that I have studied others (and myself) as to why the “action” step to reaching the goals stated always seems to be the challenge.  So often we start out with great intentions, but then something happens – and we fall short of reaching our goals.  Over the years I have written extensively about what I have learned, and have even developed various life success programs to help others with their efforts.  Admittedly, answering all the reasons why people sometimes fail to reach their goals in just a few paragraphs here is impossible, but there are a few quick key tips that I think can immediately help those out there who are eager to reach their 2012 new year resolutions:

• Life changes – especially ones you are serious about – don’t need a target date to get started (meaning you don’t need to wait until January 1st).  Change can actually begin in a moments notice - and often does – so if you are really, really serious about your new goals, you are free to get started!
• When hurdles arise (and they will, like when a family member brings home junk food and you are trying to lose weight), the key is to train your mind to view these situations as challenges, not as threats. How you perceive the world around you will determine the actions that you take — roll your sleeves up for the challenge.  It’s also a good idea to think about the challenges that are ahead of you, an effective technique therapists call stress inoculation.
• Be realistic. Research studies have consistently found that when people set goals that are too difficult or unrealistic, they often become demotivated and eventually quit.  Instead, set challenging goals that you really believe you can achieve.
• Pay attention to daily, or micro-goals. Don’t overlook the little things as they will serve as strong building blocks for the months ahead.
• Go after your resolutions with conviction! Get excited and share your enthusiasm with others – not only will they cheer your efforts but also give you support during the tough times.

For more professional tips and advice on changing habits and developing balance and resiliency in life, check out the Advanced Human Performance Systems Life Success Package!

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It’s no secret that millions of Americans each year are prescribed antidepressant medication to help them better handle their depressed mood state and overall outlook on life.  Ironically, even though millions of people (including many kids) are prescribed these medications, psychiatric medical experts like Dr. Peter Breggin are very outspoken about the many issues and problems with these drugs.  Still, the beat goes on as increasingly more people each year turn to pills to beat their woes, rather than other less risky endeavors to improve their mental toughness, including exercise, learning new coping skills, or psychological counseling.

Since around the year 2000 when anti-depressant commercials began to really hit the television airways, it’s been very interesting to look back and see how far we have come in the last 10+ years.  As a practicing clinician, I would like to make ten personal observations related to antidepressants (including efficacy), general wellness, and established paradigms in America that have stayed relatively stable over the last 10 years:

10 years later and…

• We still have antidepressant ads that run on television regularly, prompting millions of people to quickly reach out to their doctor for that “magic bullet” that will immediately improve their mood state.  Interestingly, the United States is one of only two countries in the world that allows pharmaceutical companies to market directly to consumers through television ads, prompting many critics to voice their concerns over how many people are literally lead to self-diagnose and treat (through drugs, of course).
• We are still looking for the “magic bullet.”  Rather than actually making personal changes and learning effective coping skills, we still have too many people who want to make it all go away by swallowing a pill daily.  While it would be nice to think a pill can fix your daily stress, this is more wishful thinking than reality.
• We are still ignoring side effects of these medications, or erroneously blaming the side effects on the disorder and not the medication.  Interactions with other drugs, and withdrawal effects have also been noted by medical experts – but again when these things happen many patients simply blame their experiences as a result of their depression, and not the medication(s).
• We are still minimizing and/or ignoring the facts that show placebo treatments to be on par with the actual efficacy rates of various antidepressant medications.  Most double-blind controlled studies, even today, still do not show statistically significant differences for these drugs versus placebo treatments.
• We still don’t want to face the fact that even with a medication to control symptoms, we still need to learn coping skills in order to be happy and successful in life.  Pills, at best, may help control symptoms (even if it’s a placebo effect), but they don’t fix a broken marriage or make your bills magically go away.
• There is still far less interest in investing time and money in counseling when a perceived effective medicine is available.  Counseling takes time, costs money, and is often viewed as a burden to one’s schedule or privacy — even though the long-term success rates from counseling are far better than the perceived temporary relief from an antidepressant.
• There are still far too many doctors that too easily comply with their patients when they request an antidepressant medication.  Sadly, all a person has to do is watch a few commercials and memorize the symptoms — most doctors will quickly acquiesce to the patient’s request for a prescription if he/she later describes having those symptoms (and will do this more regularly than advise a patient to seek therapy).
• There is still a general resistance to the fact that “life is difficult” (to quote Scott Peck in The Road Less Traveled).  What this means is that there are going to plenty of ups and downs in life, and simply because you are tired or feel sad doesn’t necessarily mean you should race out and jump on an antidepressant medication!
• There are still too many unknowns about “chemical imbalances” (the terrific marketing used in scaring us into thinking we might actually have one of these, and therefore need medicine to fix it!).  What is a chemically unbalanced brain?  Better yet, whats a chemically balanced brain??  Aren’t we really in flux all the time – from the tranquil state we experience at rest to the chaos of getting the kids off to school in the morning?  And isn’t this somewhat….normal?
• There is still too much elevated (false) hope in pills.  In a best-case scenario, patients on antidepressants should be working in conjunction with a therapist and making concerted efforts to change irrational thinking and harmful behaviors.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of patients today still only use their daily medication as their means for “improvement.”

Mental disorders are nothing to take lightly, and in no way am I suggesting that all medications are bad, per se.  Unfortunately, with multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical companies with big investments in medications, direct television advertising, and a country full of people yearning for a “quick fix” to their problems, far too many people — and especially kids — are being treated by unproven drugs and at the expense of actually learning coping skills and strengthening their resiliency!

What we need for the future is more research on these medications, less direct television ads designed to incite fear and paranoia, and a greater emphasis on better self-care and management.  We need to better understand and accept that life is full tough times, and it’s not unusual to feel the stress and depressed mood states that are associated with life difficulties and challenges.  We also need to realize that when we are “down,” it doesn’t automatically mean we have a permanant type of depression that can only be “fixed” by some pills in a prescription bottle.

As a professional counselor of almost 20 years, I have personally witnessed a decline in our collective resiliency, and a new generation emerge that talks as casually about prescription drugs as the generations before them did of street drugs.  Today’s teens are very aware of the various drugs being used to treat mental disorders, and they know how to find, steal, barter, and buy them.

Lets hope the next ten years are better than the last ten, and that fewer kids will turn to a perceived “quick fix” for their symptoms rather than more measured and prudent ways to cope with life stress.

Life Enhancement products can be found at Advanced Human Performance Systems – get 2012 off to a great start!!

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Athletes are known for setting goals for future sport success, and the good news is goal setting can be a very powerful tool for athletes if used properly (Advanced Human Performance Systems).  Unfortunately, when goals are too vague, uncontrollable, or impossible to measure, they can hinder an athlete’s progress, and actually become counter-productive.

Take for example when an athlete sets a goal to be the best player he can become — would you say this is a good goal, or merely a statement defining a future wish? A goal should include a clear-cut road map to specifically defined behaviors, not simply a sentence that reads more like a hope.  A better, more effective goal an athlete might state is to life x amount of weight by a specific time, or to complete x amount of running before the start of training camp.  In both of these examples, the goals are defined, specific, measurable, and controllable — all essential pieces to effective goal setting, and by reaching these goals the athlete will put himself in the best possible position to become the best athlete that he can be.

Most athletes I know do a great job stating what they would like to see happen in their future, but stop short of employing a strategic goal setting plan to help them reach future success.  It’s like saying you would like to eat a gourmet meal tonight for dinner, yet stop short of defining the food you would like to eat, or identifying how you will find/make your food.  Unfortunately, simply closing your eyes and hoping The Iron Chef appears in your kitchen is probably not going to produce your delicious dinner.

Interestingly, goals can be looked at like recipes you might find in a kitchen.  In essence, a properly written goal should include specific ingredients that can be measured, and you should be able to actually make the dish (meaning you may need a stove, refrigerator, etc.).  There should be little left to chance, too (like how you wouldn’t just throw some hot peppers into your cake mix).  Sport goals, like food recipes, should be carefully identified and followed for you to have the best chance of becoming a great athlete (or a skilled chef).

Quick Tips for Goal Setting Success

• Begin setting goals by brainstorming what you want to happen in the future (like being a great player).  Even though your goals will likely be vague at this point, you can begin with this exercise and then work to make your goals more specific next.
• Quantify your goals by making them measurable. How can you measure your progress toward becoming a “great player?”  Does this include improving your strength, speed, or even knowledge of the plays you will be asked to perform in games?  If you can count something, you probably have developed your goals into something measurable.
• Make your goals controllable. This means your goals should be pursuits that you can actually follow and don’t include luck or the help from others.  We call these process goals.
• Make your goals challenging. When goals are challenging we increase our motivation and improve our resiliency — two great factors when it comes to successful goal setting.

For more information on goal setting and how to get started (as well as many great tips), please visit Advanced Human Performance Systems and check out Mind of Steel for Athletic Success!

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Life stress can come in the form of negative events (like losing a job), as well as positive events (like planning for the holidays).  Unfortunately, regardless of the source of the stressor (good or bad), our bodies often react and respond by breaking down physically and emotionally — unless we learn how to safely and effectively cope with stress.  Fortunately, help is on the way in the form of our exciting new app, The Life Stress Test!

The Life Stress Test (.99 in the Apple apps store) is a professionally designed test you can complete in just a few minutes, and will provide you with specific results and feedback along a number of potentially stressful dimensions, including time management, assertiveness, organization skills, resiliency, and self confidence.  By learning how to recognize and effectively respond to stress, you will learn how to better plan and navigate your life — resulting in a happier, healthier, and more productive life.

Take control of your life and beat life stress — get started today with the NEW Life Stress Test!

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One question I repeatedly get these days is around the magic of the power bracelet, and whether or not they really “work.”  Actually, before we even delve into the bracelets, it’s important to note what different people mean by the word “work.”  For one athlete, adding a few pounds to his bench press might be the evidence he needs for improved physical strength and mental toughness to say the bracelets “work,” while another athlete might need longer and more sustaining evidence before claiming the bracelets “work” (like having the best season of his career).  As you can see, there is a great challenge and subjective differences in simply defining what the word “works” means — even before we talk about the bracelets! (Advanced Human Performance Systems)

Assuming for a moment that we all came to a unanimous agreement about the word “works” (which would need to be operationally defined as the dependent variable in a sport psychology research study), only then could we begin to test the efficacy of the bracelet.  To determine if power bracelets “work” by helping athletes reach their full potential, it’s important to take a wide-lens view of all the variables that may be in play.  For example, lets say an athlete begins wearing one of these bracelets and then has a couple really good games — the bracelet could be the cause of this change, but so could many other things.  First, luck may be at play – sometimes things just fall into place naturally.  It could also be possible that belief in the bracelet caused the change, and not the bracelet.  In science we call this the “placebo effect,” and it occurs when a person improves simply because of belief.

More than likely, the hologram bracelets “work” (when they seemingly do) because of belief, and not the proclaimed medicinal properties of the bracelet. Simple controlled studies have already shown that in double-blind experiments (where neither the subjects nor experimenters know if they are wearing the real bracelet or a substitute) there have been no differences in human performance.

Having said all that, if you like wearing one of these bracelets and you feel it helps you, by all means keep wearing it.  On the other hand, if you have a lucky penny taped inside your shoe, or wear the same lucky t-shirt under your uniform, you will probably see the same mental toughness and athletic improvement results as any power bracelet could ever provide!

For real sport-performance products that “work,” check out our growing product line at Advanced Human Performance Systems, as well as our world famous Sport Performance Assessment apps offered at the Apple apps store!

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