Placebo works in sport

PEOPLE find sport or exercise less strenuous if they believe it is doing them good, a study has found.

German researchers from the Department of Sport Science at the University of Freiburg discovered a person’s expectations had a major influence on just how strenuous they perceived exercise to be.

They also found that how the person felt about themselves played a big role in feeling the strain of the activity.

The researchers said the findings added further evidence that the placebo effect worked in sport and could have important implications in the battle against obesity. The results are published PLOS ONE.