Study Comparing Effects of Perceived Control on Placebo Drinks During Cycle Exercise in Healthy Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating how awareness and personal perception influence the placebo effect during exercise. This study involves healthy adults participating in a cycling session where perceived fatigue is the main outcome. The research compares three groups active placebo, passive placebo, and control, focusing on how different presentations of a drink affect feelings of fatigue and emotional state during exercise. Participants attend a gym session including a 10-minute warm-up and a 10-minute intense cycling test on a cycle ergometer. They wear a heart rate monitor to track heart and respiratory rates throughout. Each group receives a ginger-flavored drink described differently one group can decide when to consume an energizing drink, another is told to consume it before continuing, and the control group receives a mineral drink before exercise. No actual energizing substances are in the drinks. Before and after exercise, participants complete online questionnaires assessing exertion and emotions. Researchers record cycling data such as distance and speed. After the session, a perceived control questionnaire is given, and participants are debriefed about the placebo nature of the drinks. The entire process, including assessments and exercise, takes about two hours per participant.

"How Awareness and Subjectivity Modulate the Placebo Effect"