The placebo effect of a pink non-caloric, artificially sweetened solution on strength endurance performance and psychological responses in trained individuals.

This article investigates whether ingesting a pink non-caloric, artificially sweetened solution influences strength endurance performance and psychological responses in strength-trained men. In a randomized, single-blind, crossover study with 18 participants, the pink solution improved total repetitions in a bench press endurance test compared to a transparent solution and no ingestion, despite no differences in motivation, emotional arousal, affect, or perceived exertion across conditions. The findings suggest that the pink color may induce a placebo effect enhancing physical performance independently of psychological changes, highlighting the importance of considering drink color in sports nutrition research and practice.