ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews several empirical investigations of the placebo effect in sport and exercise, with emphasis on the methodologies and implications. It critically considers the role and implications of the placebo effect for athletes, exercisers and professional practitioners. The placebo effect results from psychological and socio-environmental influences, suggesting that it does not operate within a vacuum but as a consequence of a host of elements. An important assumption made when evaluating the results of a placebo-controlled trial is that the effects of the experimental treatment and the placebo are separable, additive, linear and stable. Although not all individuals will be placebo responsive in all situations, the understanding and prevention of placebo/nocebo responses should be the concern of sport and exercise practitioners. Recent research in sport and exercise has demonstrated that the placebo effect can elicit substantial and significant positive and negative effects on a number of dependent variables.
