Mind and Muscle Connection, Supplements and the Placebo Effect

The Mind Muscle Connection, Supplements with the Placebo Effect The Placebo Effect has dated back for years, it really became popular in World War II. Supplies ran short due to the lack of supply and the demand on them. They would often run out of medicine, especially painkillers, and had to give the individual peace of mind, they gave the placebo effect.

Soldiers would be shot in the butt with what they thought was morphine. What they weren’t told was that their morphine was just a good dose of saltwater. The amazing this is that when injected with this saltwater, the soldier’s pain would fade, at least for a short time.

Why Does It Work? The medics weren’t being deceiving, they were doing what they had to do, and it worked. They were taking advantage of the Placebo Effect. The Placebo Effect works because it activates the brain, changing it’s psychological or physiological functioning. The soldiers thought they were receiving a pain killer, which they knew killed pain on contact, but they were actually shot with saltwater. The effect was the same, it killed the pain, at least on a short term basis. The basic reason this works is because your brain controls your body, and your mind and thoughts can control your brain.

Supplements and the Placebo Effect The placebo effect is relied upon by the supplement industry. The fact is, most of the supplements lining the shelves today are just highly marketed, flashy tubs of non working placebo effect in a can. Most don’t have any active ingredients, or have very few that would actually help you gain muscle. Most supplements work because of the supplement placebo effect.

Most guys don’t actually walk into a supplement store and just purchase anything that catches their eye. They usually make “educated” choices based on what their friends experiences or what they saw in a magazine. When someone gets on a supplement for the first time, they really hope and expect it to work. They only buy the stuff for one reason, they think it will work.

The belief is key here. When you believe something completely, and back it with emotion, you can accomplish things that once seemed impossible. This includes physiological changes, or changes to the body. By thinking and believing that the supplement that was just consumed will cause muscle growth, the brain takes it as instructions. Basically, because of the individual’s strong conviction, the person’s brain will actually get to work and start the muscle building process. It will do this because it was told to do it.

Now, usually when a trainee starts a new supplement, they believe it will help build muscle. With everything else staying the same, this belief is strong enough to spark growth. The thing is, how many people start a new supplement and keep doing what they are doing? Not many. Most people will get on the “new miracle” and will kick their training up a notch. Not only will they improve their training, they usually improve their nutrition and recovery.

Give Yourself Some Credit If you were to make those improvements to your muscle gaining strategy: training more intensely, eating better, and resting properly, wouldn’t you gain muscle anyway, even without the supplement? The answer is a resounding Yes! Too many people get on a supplement and give all credit for improvement to the supplement. Give yourself more credit! You did the work, not the supplement! Chances are, the supplement didn’t even do anything, and it was just a placebo. Some supplements are worth taking and do the body some good, but if you don’t build the foundation with solid training, nutrition, recovery… the supplements won’t do you any good. Now if supplements can’t help build muscle with poor training and nutrition, do you think they help with proper training and nutrition? Maybe a little, but it’s you getting the results, not the supplement.