Seriously?????

AndyOgy

I was just browsing Wooly Hat Shop and I saw this:

http://www.woollyhatshop.com/Power-Bala ... _2810.html

Now, am I being sceptical or can a rubber band with a hologram really make you harder, faster, stronger etc?

I don't really watch telly or read newspapers. Has there been some sort of scientific breakthrough that I'm unaware of?

asprilla

It's epic fail, as are those who buy it.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

It's epic fail, as are those who buy it.

:oops:

Zachariah

I just bought a compression top from Max Gear because the price was excellent and the kit looks decent quality. I don't give a shred of credence to their 'ion power' hokum, though.

dhope

How Long Does It Last? The holograms are designed to last indefinitely.

They missed a trick there, they should last a few months or at least cross sell some homeopathic remedies. Should we redo SamWise's 'Reasons why I'm faster than you' post to include wearing a Power Rangers hologram?

SimonAH

Explains why the Cardiff Blues went down 16 to 10 on Friday then

This sort of rubbish really gets my goat - hey, let's market one made out of super diluted copper with embedded rare earth magnets and inscribed with Ankhs, bloody hell, you wouldn't even have to put it on. Something that powerful would turn a nonegarian into Linford Christie just by looking at it.

The Rookie

Applying the flip side, certain sports require intense concentration in shorts bursts, Golfing (circa 80 shots in 4 hours!) or rugby goal kicking for example, anything that helps a competitor get 'into the zone' of singular concantration (Like johny wilkinsons "straining to get on out" stance) can and does help with that concentration and therefore success. I'm not saying these will do that, but these sorts of thing can help, if it requires the total BS ("holograms embedded with frequencies that react positively with your body's natural energy field" is my favourite) to work psychologically to help a competitor concentrate, then so be it.

For sports that require effort, focus on ignoring 'the pain' etc, then its a wasteo f space.

Simon

PBo

The Beginner wrote:

Applying the flip side, certain sports require intense concentration in shorts bursts, Golfing (circa 80 shots in 4 hours!) or rugby goal kicking for example, anything that helps a competitor get 'into the zone' of singular concantration (Like johny wilkinsons "straining to get on out" stance) can and does help with that concentration and therefore success. I'm not saying these will do that, but these sorts of thing can help, if it requires the total BS ("holograms embedded with frequencies that react positively with your body's natural energy field" is my favourite) to work psychologically to help a competitor concentrate, then so be it.

For sports that require effort, focus on ignoring 'the pain' etc, then its a wasteo f space.

Simon

Hmmmmmmm - however, these are goods on sale and need to meet various standards of advertising, fitness for purpose etc.

I toally agree with you that if a top pro needs to put his left sock on first, or not wash his shreddies whilst on a winning streak, or whatever, then fine (apart from the hygiene consequences!).

But I'm dubious about this stuff costing money, being on sale and making (probably unprovable) claims.

Still, if we clamped down on it then the entire beauty industry would be up the swannee!

"32% more radiant...."

oh, and religion would be f*cked!

kelsen

Will they transform me into a Tyrannosaurus if I bought 2 of them, hold them in front of me and say "It's Morphin' Time!"

dhope

PBo wrote:

The Beginner wrote:

Applying the flip side, certain sports require intense concentration in shorts bursts, Golfing (circa 80 shots in 4 hours!) or rugby goal kicking for example, anything that helps a competitor get 'into the zone' of singular concantration (Like johny wilkinsons "straining to get on out" stance) can and does help with that concentration and therefore success. I'm not saying these will do that, but these sorts of thing can help, if it requires the total BS ("holograms embedded with frequencies that react positively with your body's natural energy field" is my favourite) to work psychologically to help a competitor concentrate, then so be it.

For sports that require effort, focus on ignoring 'the pain' etc, then its a wasteo f space.

Simon

Hmmmmmmm - however, these are goods on sale and need to meet various standards of advertising, fitness for purpose etc.

I toally agree with you that if a top pro needs to put his left sock on first, or not wash his shreddies whilst on a winning streak, or whatever, then fine (apart from the hygiene consequences!).

But I'm dubious about this stuff costing money, being on sale and making (probably unprovable) claims.

Still, if we clamped down on it then the entire beauty industry would be up the swannee!

"32% more radiant...."

oh, and religion would be f*cked!

This stuff doesn't actually claim to do anything concrete though and will be worded carefully that way. Any magical powers will just be 'in line with' your body's energies or will 'help promote'. All entirely unquantifiable, snake oil by another name.

You get the same careful wording on creams etc.
Rather than "improves complexion" it "contains Vitamin XYZ, which improves complexion". Important distinction, and the first one can sound like it's saying something while actually saying nothing at all.

shm_uk

I'm reserving judgement until I see some 'before' and 'after' performance stat's and what-not published.

(and I can't be bothered Go-ogling to see if there's any out there already)

dhope

shm_uk wrote:

I'm reserving judgement until I see some 'before' and 'after' performance stat's and what-not published.

(and I can't be bothered Go-ogling to see if there's any out there already)

You'd be able to find some, placebos can work wonders (seriously)

cjcp

shm_uk wrote:

I'm reserving judgement until I see some 'before' and 'after' performance stat's and what-not published.

Fwiw, I wore one (and still wear it) on a recent trip to the Alps and spent much of the time riding like a bag of spanners.

I think they cool, though. But then my view of "cool" is not the same as everyone else's

dhope

cjcp wrote:

shm_uk wrote:

I'm reserving judgement until I see some 'before' and 'after' performance stat's and what-not published.

Fwiw, I wore one (and still wear it) on a recent trip to the Alps and spent much of the time riding like a bag of spanners.

I think they cool, though. But then my view of "cool" is not the same as everyone else's

Ah, you wanted to get the Alps-specific hologram, regular holograms are severely affected by altitude :twisted:

il_principe

cjcp wrote:

shm_uk wrote:

I'm reserving judgement until I see some 'before' and 'after' performance stat's and what-not published.

Fwiw, I wore one (and still wear it) on a recent trip to the Alps and spent much of the time riding like a bag of spanners.

I think they cool, though. But then my view of "cool" is not the same as everyone else's

Of all the people I know, you'd be one of the ones I'd think least likely to buy one of these things.

So what do the stars have in store for you this week?

Stuey01

Ah, the placebo. My friend tried to argue that it could have a placebo affect on me.
I said not if I think it's a load of sh1t it won't.

cjcp

dhope wrote:

cjcp wrote:

shm_uk wrote:

I'm reserving judgement until I see some 'before' and 'after' performance stat's and what-not published.

Fwiw, I wore one (and still wear it) on a recent trip to the Alps and spent much of the time riding like a bag of spanners.

I think they cool, though. But then my view of "cool" is not the same as everyone else's

Ah, you wanted to get the Alps-specific hologram, regular holograms are severely affected by altitude :twisted:

Dammit! I knew it had nothing to do with me eating like a crazy man.

@IP - hey, I'm a sucker for a lot of gimmicks. What can I say? Remember, I bought deep-rimmed carbon wheels because I thought they made a cool sound.

il_principe

cjcp wrote:

@IP - hey, I'm a sucker for a lot of gimmicks. What can I say? Remember, I bought deep-rimmed carbon wheels because I thought they made a cool sound.

But that's a perfectly valid reason!

edhornby

2009 - Wiggins didn't wear one in the tour - came 4th
2010 - Wiggins wore one in the tour - came 24th

proof that they are rubbish

ooermissus

The placebo effect is a very powerful thing - so I am sure coaches hype these things to athletes even if the coaches themselves know they don't work.

Curses, dhope, can work too - there are well-documented cases of people dying from the 'nocebo' effect.

I often wonder whether there's a smart (if unethical) coach out there who has persuaded his charges that he's feeding them a top secret, newly developed, undetectable, and highly illegal performance enhancing drug - but is just injecting them with some saline solution...

gtvlusso

I went to a "Water Babies" class with 8 month old gtvlusso jnr a couple of weeks back - the rather hot, bikini clad, 20 something year old taking the class had one of those on her wrist....believe me, she was DDD Hot! Fine figure with long dark hair....!

For some reason I felt aroused throughout the class, but I don't think it was the band's influence......or the kids!

asprilla

gtvlusso wrote:

I went to a "Water Babies" class with 8 month old gtvlusso jnr a couple of weeks back - the rather hot, bikini clad, 20 something year old taking the class had one of those on her wrist....believe me, she was DDD Hot! Fine figure with long dark hair....!

For some reason I felt aroused throughout the class, but I don't think it was the band's influence......or the kids!

Pics or it didn't happen....

Kieran_Burns

These bloody bands are about as believeable as that Gillian McKeith food fraud. Utterly non-sensical pseudo-science that doesn't stand up to a moments scrutiny.

I bet they've got a correspondence course degree as well.

PBo

Kieran_Burns wrote:

These bloody bands are about as believeable as that Gillian McKeith food fraud. Utterly non-sensical pseudo-science that doesn't stand up to a moments scrutiny.

I bet they've got a correspondence course degree as well.

The bands probably looks like a PhD submission compared to that women's drivel....

I flim flam between "this stuff should be banned!" to "if the daft bu99ers believe this crap, they deserve to be parted from their cash!!"

jonginge

ooermissus wrote:

I often wonder whether there's a smart (if unethical) coach out there who has persuaded his charges that he's feeding them a top secret, newly developed, undetectable, and highly illegal performance enhancing drug - but is just injecting them with some saline solution...

Apparently, most of the 'treatments' administered to Paco Mancebo were placebos due to his naturally high haemacrit levels: they couldn't blood-boost him otherwise he'd have gone above the UCI 50% limit...