Phiten technology will be the final fad discussed in this Sports Medicine series. The Phiten necklace is a popular accessory for a majority of baseball athletes. The premise behind Phiten technology is “metals that are broken down into microscopic particles dispersed in water.” Through this technology, Phiten hopes to optimize the customer’s life by “adding energy and style to whatever you’re doing.”
Phiten’s website offers links where readers may read research on the product; however examining research from outside sources proves to be more difficult. One company, “The Society of Aqua Metal Research”, conducts the only research provided on the website; however, none of it is related to athletic performance, which is the company’s target audience. The research also does not provide any case studies to show the effectiveness of the product in real life situations. A separate research article, out of New Zealand, found that “Aquatitan-treated garments are likely of trivial consequence when looking for performance gains.”
Phiten technology is based on the claimed benefits of “hydro-colloidal metals,” however the lack of evidence supporting its claims makes it hard to determine if the product truly gives athletes any sort of performance enhancement. The purported scientific research behind all of these sports medicine fads fails to show conclusive evidence supporting their effectiveness. All of the research studies cited in this Sports Medicine series found that each of the fads evaluated - Kinesiotape, Power Balance bracelets, and Phiten technology, made no significant difference in improving athletic performance. Nevertheless, as demonstrated by the sales and endorsements of these products, the marketing and placebo effects have a positive impact on athletes’ reliance on the products.
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