Power bands are the latest craze to sweep the sporting world, but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has declared the bands are no more beneficial than wearing a rubber band.
Power bands are worn around the wrist and manufacturers claim they boost the wearer's balance, strength and flexibility. One manufacturer, Power Balance, says the bands use "holograms embedded with frequencies that react positively with your body's natural energy".
But ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said Power Balance Australia couldn't provide any scientific evidence to back up the claim. He has told the company to give their costumers a refund if they feel cheated by the claims.
"Consumers should be wary of other similar products on the market that make unsubstantiated claims, when they may be no more beneficial than a rubber band," he said in a statement.
"Suppliers of these types of products must ensure that they are not claiming supposed benefits when there is no supportive scientific evidence."
Power Balance has promised to remove the misleading claims from packaging and the band itself, and to publish "corrective advertising".
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