Placebos and Boosting Performance with Mindset
posted on March 26, 2025
The Placebo Effect is a commonly known phenomenon where an individual’s condition is improved by use of a treatment that has no real effect on its own. In the realms of athletics and fitness, Placebos are becoming recognized as a method of enhancing performance with compelling research being published to back them up.
In a 2023 study coming from Norway, a mix of forty male and female athletes (national and club level soccer and handball) were split into a treatment and control group. The two groups were given a 10 week training intervention with the treatment group being informed that they had each received an individualized program meant to fit their needs when in reality, both groups received the same programming. What was found at the end of the 10 weeks was that the treatment group increased their 1 rep max on barbell squats by 5.7% compared to the 0.9% of the control group (1). However, these results are not purely limited to strength training. Another study published back in 2007 from the U.K. employed six well trained male cyclists to perform two baseline 10K time trials and three experimental 10K time trials. In the experimental trials, the participants were randomly assigned treatments of either a placebo, 4.5 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight, or 9.5 mg per kg. However, participants were administered the placebo on each trial and the results that were produced suggest a performance improvement that correlates to the dosage of caffeine that participants believe they were ingesting. Overall, there was a 1.3% increase in power output for the 4.5 mg per kg dosage and a 3.1% increase in the trials with a 9.5 mg per kg dosage. Along with that, there was even a 1.4% decrease in power output in the group who knew they had ingested the placebo (2).
These studies demonstrate the effect placebos can have on an athlete and show the power of the mind in regard to performance. The mental and emotional aspect of any physical activity is often just as or if not more important than the physical aspect and learning to harness the mind properly can greatly aid in an individual’s ability to pursue their goals and fulfill their potential in whatever sport or physical metric they desire. While the use of a traditional placebo may not be very practical in most fitness related settings and scenarios, a positive mindset and self-affirmations can mimic this effect. Even though it may come across as cliche, believing in yourself and your abilities can make all the difference and induce changes in brain chemistry that translate to improvements in strength, speed, and endurance.
What may be even more influential for physical performance than placebos are their cousin phenomenon known as nocebos, which are essentially the opposite. Similar to the results found in the study focused on cyclists, the belief that a worse outcome will occur only increases the probability of it happening, so avoiding negative thoughts and expectations of failure is absolutely vital.
How can all the information be applied? As stated earlier, confidence is key. That is not to say that everyone should always expect immediate success because this mindset will only leave you let down at some point. What’s more important is to visualize the process that will lead to success and avoid nocebos and negative thoughts that may diminish performance. Always understand failure is a possibility, but by no means invite it in. Be confident in your abilities and look only to perform at your own highest standard regardless of what the result may be after. In short, hope for success, but prepare for failure.
(1) Lindberg, K., Bjørnsen, T., Vårvik, F.T. et al. The effects of being told you are in the intervention group on training results: a pilot study. Sci Rep 13, 1972 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29141-7
(2) Beedie CJ, Stuart EM, Coleman DA, Foad AJ. Placebo effects of caffeine on cycling performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Dec;38(12):2159-64. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000233805.56315.a9. PMID: 17146324.
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