Power Balance bracelets improve balance and strength

Power Balance bracelets improve balance and strength
	FALSE
	"Wristbands embedded with holograms that resonate with the body's natural "frequencies" improve balance, strength, flexibility and athletic performance."
Domain	Sports & Competition
Tactic	Pseudoscience / Junk Science; Fraud or Scam;
Era	Current
First seen	2007
Origin	Power Balance LLC, a California company founded in 2007, which marketed silicone bracelets through athletes, celebrities and live demonstrations
Last reviewed	2026-10-27
	Further reading: books on Sports & Competition

The claim that Power Balance bracelets improve balance and strength helped sell millions of silicone wristbands around 2009 and 2010. The bracelets contained a small hologram that the company said worked with the body's natural energy field to improve performance. They were worn by professional athletes and celebrities, and the company bought naming rights to an NBA arena. In December 2010, under pressure from Australia's consumer protection regulator, the company admitted that there was no credible scientific evidence supporting its claims and offered refunds. Controlled tests found the bracelets had no effect. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2011.

The claim

Power Balance said its bracelets used "holographic technology" embedded with frequencies that react positively with the body's natural energy field. Marketing suggested improved balance, strength, flexibility, endurance and wellbeing. The bracelets sold for around $30 to $60.

Origin

Brothers Josh and Troy Rodarmel founded Power Balance in California in 2007. The company built credibility through endorsements and visibility among athletes in basketball, baseball, football, surfing and motor racing; Shaquille O'Neal was among the well-known figures who wore or promoted the bands. Sales boomed internationally, and in 2011 the company acquired naming rights to the Sacramento Kings' arena, which became the Power Balance Pavilion.

The demonstration

Much of the bracelets' popularity came from in-store and on-camera demonstrations. A person would stand on one leg or hold their arms out while the demonstrator pushed down on them, first without a bracelet and then with one. With the bracelet, the person appeared more stable or stronger.

These demonstrations rely on techniques borrowed from applied kinesiology and on subtle differences in how pressure is applied. The demonstrator can push at a different angle, with different force, or after the person has learned what to expect. Because the tests are not blinded, both demonstrator and subject know when the bracelet is present, and expectations shape the result.

What the evidence shows

Regulatory action. In December 2010 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found that the company had made claims that could not be substantiated. Power Balance Australia published a corrective statement saying that there was no credible scientific evidence supporting its claims and that it had therefore engaged in misleading conduct, and offered refunds to customers. Regulators in other countries, including Italy, also acted against its marketing.
Controlled tests. A study at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in 2011, conducted for the American Council on Exercise, tested athletes on balance, strength and flexibility while wearing either real Power Balance bands or identical bands without holograms, without knowing which. There was no difference. Other blinded tests and investigations by journalists found the same.
No mechanism. Holograms are simply patterned films that diffract light. There is no known way in which a hologram could interact with the body to improve physical performance.

After the admission, the company faced class-action lawsuits in the United States. It filed for bankruptcy in November 2011, and the Sacramento arena was later renamed.

Why it persists

Power Balance was one of several wellness accessories, including ionized and magnetic bracelets, that rode a wave of interest in performance-enhancing products. Similar products remain on sale. They succeed through celebrity endorsement, convincing but unblinded demonstrations, the placebo effect and the confidence that athletes may feel when wearing a lucky charm.

Lessons for readers

Live demonstrations can be persuasive but are not controlled tests.
Ask whether a product has been tested blind, with a convincing fake for comparison.
Celebrity and athlete endorsements are paid marketing, not evidence.
Vague scientific language, such as "frequencies" and "energy fields," is a warning sign.
Regulatory actions and corrective statements are worth checking before buying.

Sources

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, "Power Balance admits no credible scientific evidence," media release, December 22, 2010.
John Porcari et al., study of Power Balance bracelets, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, for the American Council on Exercise (2011).
Reporting on Power Balance's bankruptcy filing, November 2011 (multiple outlets).