How Your Mindset Shapes Your Health: The Surprising Power of the Placebo Effect

Scrofula – a tuberculosis infection of the neck – was rife from the Middle Ages right through to the 21^st century.

Commonly known as ‘the King’s Evil’, its symptoms include the appearance of a chronic, painless abscess in the neck which consistently grew over time. 

Until the 18^th century, it was believed the only cure for the King’s Evil was to be ‘touched’ by the reigning monarch.

John Haygarth, a British physicist, was sceptical of this supposed all-powerful – and somewhat outlandish – belief and wanted to test the effectiveness of the alleged monarch’s superhuman healing power.

He recruited a group of patients diagnosed with the disease and divided them into two groups.

The first group were taken to a room where they were ‘touched’ by a member of the royal family. The second group, however, were taken to a room where they were touched by an assistant – a random individual who had been trained to perform a mock version of the royal ritual.

Somewhat remarkably, even though the second group had received a fake treatment, many patients reported an instant improvement in their symptoms. 

Some even claimed to have been cured completely.

Haygarth, importantly, concluded that the power of suggestion and the patient’s beliefs and expectations were responsible for the improvement in their ailments, not owing to any specific physiological processes occurring.  

He even went on to use similar ‘fake’ treatments for other conditions, including a fabricated cure for rheumatism that involved the application of magnets.

This remarkable story illustrates how an individual’s deeply held attitudes and mindset can affect their perception of their actions, their feelings, and their overall health. 

Commonly known as the ‘Placebo Effect’, this concept’s powerful psychological impact has the ability to influence outcomes on many behaviours – and even startling recoveries from infectious diseases.  

Essentially, we can turn anything into a placebo. 

When our assumptions and hopes are aligned with long-term goals, we can use this powerful prediction machine to our advantage. 

Can we glean the benefits of this powerful effect when working on our exercise and eating habits, then?

Can we shape our minds and beliefs towards positive expectations around the gym and the foods we consume? 

Can we think ourselves healthier?

How Does The Placebo Effect Work?

A ‘placebo’ is a substance or treatment designed to have no therapeutic value. 

These influential protocols can affect how patients perceive a certain condition and encourage the body’s physiological processes to take action and relieve pain but, ostensibly, possess no real impact on the condition itself [1].

It’s been found that simply experiencing positive expectations around a situation can bring much more than just emotional comfort, producing genuine relief for many physical conditions, including asthma, Parkinson’s, and heart disease. 

Aside from the body’s prediction of improvement allowing the brain to develop its own ‘inner pharmacy’ and relieve us of pain, the learning process known as ‘conditioning’ also plays a part [2].

Simply the belief that one will feel differently leads to an individual actually experiencing different emotions based on previous memories and associations.

If a person has previously received a placebo treatment that they believed helped to reduce their pain during exercise, they may be more likely to experience a positive response when they receive the same treatment again, in a subsequent exercise session.

Additionally, when an individual feels cared for and listened to, they may experience a sense of comfort and reassurance, which can further help alleviate any symptoms.

Essentially, we can turn anything into a placebo. When our assumptions and hopes are aligned with long-term goals, we can use this powerful prediction machine to our benefit. 

Subsequently, allowing our expectations to shape our physical reality means we can harness these effects when eating and exercising, as well.

Placebo Effects On Exercise

Can You Do More Than You Think You Can?

It makes sense for our brains to dictate how hard we work. 

If it feels like we’re nearing the point of exhaustion – and, what it fears the most, death – it’s going to tell us to take it easy. We don’t want to end up in a heap on the gym floor following a set of heavy deadlifts, after all. 

It’s why cyclists who had their time trials on a bike secretly altered to either show faster or slower race times experienced subsequent changes in their overall stamina [3].

Those who had been shown a ‘slower’ clock (meaning they thought they’d travelled less distance than they had actually managed) showed an 18 per cent increase in their endurance, while those who had been exposed to a ‘faster’ clock (meaning they thought they’d raced harder than they actually had), experienced a 2 per cent drop in their times. 

The misleading perception of time had led the participant’s brains to estimate they had exerted more – or less – effort than they actually had and, subsequently, altered their overarching impression of exhaustion. 

It’s important, therefore, that you reframe your feelings of exertion and effort when exercising.

Sensations of fatigue are often nothing but a work of deception your brain will continually feed you, just to keep you alive. You often have more left in the tank than you think you do. 

The mere belief that you have more energy left to utilise or that you’re fitter, stronger, and more resilient than you like to admit clearly contains powerful effects. 

Treat feelings of tiredness as evidence that you’re working hard, and, should you believe you can keep going, you’ll often find yourself running that extra kilometre or pushing out those last few reps. 

Trick your mind into believing you can do more.

Do You Exercise More Than You Think You Do?

People will often experience negative associations surrounding health and fitness, whether with their ability levels or how much they enjoy exercising. If they’ve always been the one who doesn’t like hitting the gym, or have always struggled with lifting weights, they’re going to carry that compelling assumption around with them everywhere.

Shifting your perception of your exercise ability level to one of confidence and competence, however, possesses impressive consequences.

It’s why individuals who were wrongly told they had performed better than others on a VO2 max test then showed better scores on the same test a few days later [4].

And why hotel maids – who initially claimed to engage in very little physical activity – showed considerably improved health markers just a month after having been informed of the energy demands of their daily activities, and that exercise didn’t need to be ‘hard or painful to be good for one’s health’ [5]. 

The mere shift in expectation around their activity levels – and the meaning behind their work tasks – physically changed their bodies. 

How fit someone believes they are can change their performance levels and, similarly, whether you view exercise as a task you already engage in (rather than having to physically get to the gym five times a week), will alter your body’s physiological and psychological responses to general movement. 

It’s important to remember that your expectations around exercise can be more influential than pre-set genetic factors. 

Start telling yourself that you’re already active or can perform better than others in the gym. 

That walk to the bus station or the weekly hour’s cleaning you do all contribute to healthy activity levels. You can now select the heavier dumbbells or add a few extra reps to your sets because you possess more strength and stamina than you initially thought.

By reframing your ability levels and expecting that you’ll be able to keep up with a new exercise programme, you’ll increase motivation, performance levels, and long-term adherence. 

Don’t acquiesce to the mind’s self-fulfilling prophecy and what you can truly achieve.

Ultimately, you can always exercise harder than you think you can and always exercise more than you think you do. 

Placebo Effects On Nutrition 

Do You Feel Hungrier After Eating Certain Foods?

Many people will separate foods into two camps: ‘healthy’ and ‘indulgent’. Unfortunately, this influential dichotomy is leading people down the wrong path when it comes to sustainable and beneficial eating habits. 

Not only does this create a damaging relationship with food, but it means individuals are less likely to adhere to the healthy nutritional behaviours they’re trying to create. 

One study showed that a food item – specifically a pasta salad – labelled as ‘healthy’ led to participants feeling hungrier than if the meal was called ‘hearty’, owing to the expectation it would simply be less satisfying [6].

And why those who were given an ‘indulgent’ milkshake containing 380 calories, but were told it had 620, showed an actual physiological change in their body’s hunger response, compared to those who were given exactly the same milkshake but told it was a healthier, ‘sensi-shake’, containing only 140 calories [7].

Based solely on verbal information, our brains will dictate perceived energy intake and adjust our satiety hormones accordingly. 

The mere belief of what a meal can do for you will influence eating behaviours and physiological responses. 

It’s important you’re aware of food descriptors influencing what you consume. 

Just because something is labelled as ‘healthy’ doesn’t mean it’s going to be less satisfying, just as something called ‘indulgent’ isn’t going to be more filling. The belief that a certain item has particular effects becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Additionally, viewing certain foods as ‘bad’ or ‘sinful’ can also alter our physiological responses to what we consume. One study showed that people who associated treats such as chocolate cake with ‘guilt’ actually gained more weight than those who viewed the cake as a form of ‘celebration’ [8]. 

It’s imperative you avoid harsh value judgements on the types of foods you’re consuming. 

Start viewing your meals as ‘exciting’ and ‘satiating’, regardless of what you’ve been told about certain foods. Think about focusing on your meals’ flavour, texture, and presentation, as this will heighten enjoyment and leave you feeling more satisfied afterwards. 

Of course, you can’t transform a handful of bland kale into the taste and flavour of a three-course meal, but a simple mental shift in how you view what you’re consuming and its effects on your body, will alter your satiety levels, mood, and, ultimately, health.

Can You Remember What You Ate For Lunch?

Just as the placebo effect can influence our perception of satiety and satisfaction, so too can our memory of previous meals influence how much we consume later. 

Our expectation of what we’ve tasted will impact later eating habits. 

One study showed that participants who were told to recall what they had for lunch reduced their total consumption of cookies by about 45% (about four cookies), compared with those who simply wrote down ‘general’ thoughts and feelings rather than food memories [9]

And why students who were given a three-egg omelette with 45g of cheese for breakfast – but were told it consisted of just two eggs and 30g of cheese – subsequently ate more pasta from a buffet at lunchtime, than those who were given the same omelette but were told it contained four-eggs and 60g of cheese [10].

We consistently form inaccurate food memories, which can significantly control following eating behaviours. 

It’s time to avoid distractions while eating and pay significant attention to the food you’re consuming. Cultivating strong memories of the experience will not only increase enjoyment of your meal but also help keep you fuller for longer. 

Through the power of the mind-body connection, we can simply shift how we implement certain eating behaviours. If we can trick ourselves into believing an earlier meal was satiating or healthy, we’ll be able to influence what we eat next.

The Quick-Fire Placebo Effect Q&A

How Does The Placebo Effect Influence Health And Fitness?

The placebo effect occurs when positive expectations and beliefs create real changes in how we feel, think, and behave. While a placebo treatment may have no direct therapeutic value, our beliefs about it can influence pain, motivation, performance, hunger, and even physiological responses. 

When applied to health and fitness, positive expectations can help improve exercise adherence, confidence, and eating behaviours.

Can Mindset Really Improve Exercise Performance?

Studies have shown that when people believe they are fitter, stronger, or performing better than expected, they often go on to achieve better results.

Your brain constantly estimates effort and fatigue, meaning that changing your perception of what you’re capable of can influence how hard you work and how long you persist.

Does The Placebo Effect Affect Hunger And Food Choices?

Yes. Research has found that expectations about food can influence feelings of hunger and fullness. People often feel more satisfied when they believe a meal is indulgent or filling, even when the food itself is identical.

The labels, descriptions, and beliefs we attach to food can significantly influence our eating behaviours.

How Can I Use The Placebo Effect To Build Healthier Habits?

Start by paying attention to the stories you tell yourself. Instead of viewing yourself as someone who struggles with exercise or healthy eating, begin adopting more helpful beliefs.

Reframing your activity levels, focusing on what food does for you, and expecting positive outcomes can all influence motivation, behaviour, and long-term consistency.

Can Changing My Beliefs Help With Weight Loss?

Beliefs alone won’t create weight loss, but they can strongly influence the behaviours that do. Expectations affect hunger, food choices, exercise adherence, confidence, and motivation.

When your mindset supports healthy habits rather than undermining them, maintaining a calorie deficit and sustaining long-term behaviour change becomes considerably easier.

References

1. Colloca, L. (2019). The placebo effect in pain therapies. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 59. 191-211.

2. Stewart-Williams, S., & Podd, J. (2004). The Placebo Effect: Dissolving the Expectancy Versus Conditioning Debate. Psychological Bulletin, 130(2), 324–340.

3. Morton, R.H, (2009). Deception by manipulating the clock calibration influences cycle ergometer endurance time in males. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 12(2), 332-7.

4. Montes, J., Wulf, G., & Navalta, J.W. (2018). Maximal aerobic capacity can be increased by enhancing performers’ expectancies. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 58(5), 744-9.

5. Crum, AJ., & Langer, E.J., (2007). Mind-set matters: exercise and the placebo effect. Psychological Science, 18(2), 165-71. 

6. Vadiveloo, M., Morwitz, V., and Chandon, P. (2013). The interplay of health claims and taste importance on food consumption and self-reported satiety. Appetite, 71, 349-56.

7. Crum, A. J., Corbin, W. R., Brownell, K. D., & Salovey, P. (2011). Mind over milkshakes: Mindsets, not just nutrients, determine ghrelin response. Health Psychology, 30(4), 424–429. 

8. Kuijet, R.G., & Boyce, J.A. (2014). Chocolate cake. Guilt or celebration? Associations with healthy eating attitudes, perceived behavioural control, intentions and weight loss. Appetite, 74, 48-54.

9. Higgs, S., & Donohoe, J.E., (2011). Focusing on food during lunch enhances lunch memory and decreases later snack intake. Appetite, 57(1), 202-6.

10. Brown, S.D., Duncan, J., Crabtree, D., Powell, D., Hudson, M., & Allan, J.L. (2020). We are what we (think we) eat: The effect of expected satiety on subsequent calorie consumption. Appetite, 104717.