Will a placebo boost my sports performance?
In medicine, it\u2019s long been recognised that a placebo, a sham medicine or treatment, can have a powerful positive effect on a patient\u2019s health. Part of that effect relies on a person\u2019s belief that an inactive substance or treatment (for example, a sugar pill) is in fact an active drug. Placebos come in many forms, and the scientific study of placebo is an active area of research.\n \nWith this in mind, CrowdScience listener Nigel got in touch to ask if can placebos be used to improve sports performance. As an amateur sports enthusiast, he\u2019s been reading up on his sports psychology to try and improve his game, but he wonders if any coaches or psychologists use placebos to improve performance? Always ready to take up a challenge, presenter Anand Jagatia explores the world of endurance sport to find out how a placebo might used to improve athletes\u2019 performances, as well as his own, and look at how advances in brain science are helping us understand the unusual neurobiology of placebo.\n \nAnd what of the amateur golfer, or rugby or table tennis player - can a placebo help? On an individual level, so called \u2018verbal placebo\u2019 is a technique that can help players with anxiety, confidence and concentration, and ultimately make them win more. And what about team sports? When, say, a new manager takes over at an ailing football club, and sparks a massive reversal in poor results, is that a placebo effect in action? The CrowdScience team investigates.
Produced by Dom Byrne, presented by Anand Jagatia.