The Science Behind the Con-Science

Conscience: An inner sense of what is right and wrong in one’s conduct and motives, and impelling one in the right action; a consciousness and self-knowledge.

Science: Knowledge attained through study and practice.

Conscience – how important is it? This is analogous to Pinocchio’s Jiminy Cricket who whispers into his wooden ear to not be lured into the theme park. It is your ethics that you apply in business and accounting practices. It is about doing the right thing instead of playing passive bystander and concerned pedestrian. It is about choosing apathy and ignorance as your tools of indifference and disenchantment.

If an amateur athlete cheats at sports, is it acceptable since he did not earn prize money? Anecdotal evidence point to the probability of serious age-groupers using EPO to gain an advantage to qualify for the world championships in Kona. The sporting world is full of cheats from game-throwers to saboteurs to athletes with unfair physiological advantages (via doping or pharmaceutical enhancement). It is so easy to be disenfranchised and incensed from a competitor's shadowy tactics.

Science focuses on the observed and the empirical. The more something occurs, the more probable it is. Fact versus fiction: occurrence versus concurrence. Agreement does not mean actuality. Too often, with the marketing in sports products manufacturers tend to extrapolate data and research findings into their claims. However, most of these claims are just that – claims – and may not be approved by regulatory bodies like the FDA. Sometimes, the marketers will include caveats like ‘results may vary for individuals’ or ‘used only as prescribed’ or ‘based on a study…’ ad nauseum. Sponsored athletes and clever ad-copy add to the hype and hyperbole.

In spite of it, there is a brutal truth behind the application of science – scientific observations may prove something inconclusive at times. Here are annoyingly inconclusive facts in sports:

1)    Minimalist shoes (there are injuries related to using such nominal protection)

2)    Barefoot running (runners do get injured from this defiant methodology)

3)    Altitude training

4)    Deep-tissue massage (hurt so good?)

5)    Stretching before races (can be counter-intuitive and counter-productive to muscular engagement)

6)    Use of energy drinks and gels during racing (apparently, rinsing with sweetened drinks activates receptors in the tongue that activate the energy systems)

7)    The roles of under-hydration (hyponutremia) and over-hydration (hypernutremia)

8)    Compression tights during races (the look takes some getting used to, but do they really work?)

9)    Glucosamine supplements (according to dog-lovers and vets, it is effective for increasing mobility)

Liar, liar pants on fire! Manufacturers should be conscientious and stop sending mixed messages and promises of hope. The economy is getting lukewarm for us to overspend on already expensive sports. Instead, focus on ‘what actually works’ instead of ‘what could work’. Leave trials for the laboratory and testing process, and not make lab-rats of consumers. Fool us once – shame on us. Fool us twice – shame on you!