Just as in evidence-based practice there is a hierarchy of evidence that ranks research methods according to the validity of their findings, the supplement industry has it’s own hierarchy that one needs to navigate in order to determine the efficacy of a product. One only needs to ‘Google’ the name of a major supplement to return millions of hits for websites, most of which seem to be websites and forum posts written without any sources or reference to literature. In the fitness world’s hierarchy of evidence, these statements are referred to as ‘bro science’.
Bro Science (broh sahy-uhns): An idea of questionable scientific credibility, often based on the anecdotal experiences of less-than-expert individuals, which is frequently accepted as factual due to apparent face validity.
WARNING:
When researching any new information (particularly within the sphere or medicine, nutrition and physiology), it is always important to base your decisions on a broad review of scientific literature. This does not mean finding a single article to support a hypothesis that you’ve already made in your head. Rather, you should attempt to put on the hat of a scientist / researcher and view the topic as impartially as possible. This will help you to get the best understanding of the topic you’re investigating you possibly can and will avoid you being duped by ‘bro scientists’ who proffer their views from lofty positions despite having no data to back them up.
This is why, when possible, I include references in my blog posts. I never pretend I’m an expert on any of the topics I cover. Instead, I try to offer interesting findings that I come across to help others make more informed choices with regard to their health and fitness.
So remember – when you’re reading an article that makes a specific claim … ask yourself: WHERE’S THE PROOF?!
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