Jump Off The Band Wagon

Sometimes a cool look doesn’t work: Wristbands that contain negatively charged ions do not appear to boost endurance. In a Belmont University study, athletes’ VO₂ scores were no better when they wore one of these bands than when they wore a sham band or none at all. Other research has suggested that breathing the ions (which are naturally present in air) can impact aerobic capacity, says lead study author Patrick Sells. “But we didn’t find any benefit to wearing the bracelets.” To amp up your VO₂ max, try adding twice-weekly intervals to your endurance training regimen, he says.

Image by Levi Brown