Experts Question If Jewelry Can Improve Athletic Ability

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Forget silver and gold jewelry, some sport fanatics are now talking titanium, as well as shiny holograms, magnets, and antennas! You may have seen the sports necklaces and wristbands that are all the rage.

Superstar celebrities and athletes, including many of our own Texas Rangers, have been wearing them for months. Members of the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks have been spotted sporting them. But the athletes aren't alone. Everyone from country music singers Rascal Flatts, to comedian George Lopez, former President George W. Bush, the makers of the necklaces and wristbands are looking for every opportunity to snap a shot of a star wearing their products.

Even 5th grader Bolton Corwin wears one. "It's supposed to give you energy," he said. His Highland Park classmate, Cade Saustad, agrees saying, "It's supposed to make you faster."

When it comes to the kids 'likes' mom are paying the price. "They are $45 each and I have three kids. It adds up!" explained mother Amee Calloway.

CBS 11 looked at three of the well-known manufacturers.

A company called Phiten makes the necklaces we typically saw Texas Rangers players wearing. They're twisted rows of colors braided into an approximately quarter-to-half inch rope that you wear around your neck. The bands are sold commercially or can be custom-made.

The process explained on the company website says the manufacturers use an in-depth scientific process, called the Phild Effect, to break titanium down to liquid titanium. Phiten claims this new 'aqua-titanium' is then absorbed by the necklace, "just like a dye." According to the website, "The Aqua-Titanium becomes part of the fabric and cannot be washed out or fade away. Aqua-Titanium is most prominently used in our necklaces and apparel, where the entire fabric is permeated with Aqua-Titanium and emits energy that effectively controls your bio-electric current."

Titanium is the 22nd element on the periodic table. The chemical element can be found in Boeing 747 jet engines, is used in aerospace, and is a component of missiles.

"It's whitish silver. It's light and low density," explained Dr. John Sibert, with the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). He describes it as a space age metal with a glamour component. "If one wanted to dance with an element, one might want to dance with titanium," he said.

So, CBS 11 asked Dr. Sibert what "working out" with titanium might do? "I have not heard of aqua titanium," said Dr. Sibert. "I have not heard of the phild effect."

Dr. Sibert read the scientific description on Phiten's website, which can sound confusing to those who know little about science. He specifically looked at text which referenced "the energy transport system regulating body by transporting ions." "That sounds good. That has a lot of buzz words that are in there," he said of the statement. "I don't know what that means in context of an application."

Dr. Sibert also reviewed a statement that Phiten sent CBS 11 explaining its science. After reading the statement he repeated, "I'm not sure what that means. I don't know what that is. That description of what they're doing does not make sense to me."

Phiten's statement, which you can click here to read, says it is now conducting third-party research with prestigious facilities to prove its science.

Dr. Robert Fowler, a long-time physician for the Dallas Cowboys, says he's also confused by the claims from the jewelry makers but he admits some Cowboys players are wearing them. Dr. Fowler says there is no secret ingredient in any of the sports jewelry on the market. "There is no scientific evidence for any of them to improve performance or balance or any of the frequent claims you hear," he said. Dr. Fowler believes athletes are just looking for an edge.

A Dallas-based company, cPrime, also makes a bracelet. Theirs is a half-inch wide rubber band that comes in a variety of colors. Some of the bracelets are stretchy, while others latch with a magnetic attachment.

Video on the cPrime website shows strength and balance demonstrations with and without the band, to prove their power. You see a male and female athlete performing tests on each other without the band. Their stretching, balance, and strength skills are far more impressive once they put on a band.

cPrime's statement to CBS 11 explains the science behind the small disc inside the bracelets, that allegedly is the key ingredient. The "technology includes a possible radiating antenna array that alters the way the human body interacts with its external electromagnetic environment."

The owners of cPrime met a CBS 11 crew at the home of Nancy Lieberman. Lieberman is the coach for the Texas Legends and the first female basketball coach in the NBA. She is also a big supporter of cPrime products.

"I felt a definite difference in my own work out," Lieberman said, adding that she's probably done the demonstrations with and without the bands more than 2,000 times.

cPrime's owners asked her to explain the science behind the product to us. "The chip is an aluminum alloy chip that has, let's say maybe antennas. It pulls light and light is photons and when it hits the chips, it disperses this energy," explained Lieberman. "It changes the energy patterns in your body."

The owners of cPrime said they couldn't tell us specifics without revealing company trade secrets, but they did direct us to their website. The site describes a study, done by a "third party" group, where participants saw increased balance and strength with the bands. They also said more blind studies are currently underway. Click here to read cPrime's full statement.

The company Power Balance also makes bracelets. They come in a variety of colors and have a shiny silver hologram on them. The Power Balance website talks about testimonials and responses "from around the world about how Power Balance has helped people." It does say there is no assurance that the bracelets can help everyone.

In a statement to CBS 11, Power Balance promises a money-back guarantee. No one from the company would provide more information about the science behind the band or the hologram that may help the athletes who wear it. Click here to read their full statement.

Dr. Fowler saw only one possible explanation for the studies, demonstrations, and athletes who claim to see improved performance. "It's probably not physiological, it's probably psychological," he said, comparing beliefs about the jewelry to a good-luck charm.

Dr. Fowler, Dr. Sibert, along with several other physicians, told CBS 11 they believe the new jewelry has a "placebo effect" on athletes. The concept is one 5th grader Will Stern easily understands. "I think it makes your brain think you can do it. It makes you feel good about your shot and you do it."

The experts who spoke with CBS 11 about he jewelry claims, and there were more than mentioned here, remain skeptical about the physical claims.