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When Is Research Necassary |
Muscle Activity
All claims, explicit or implicit which are made to the effect that the product can shape, tone, sculpt, etc. the whole body or any of its parts, or claims that the product will provide a full body workout, requires muscle testing for verification. Any claims, explicit or implicit that are made to the effect that the product performs better than another named product or named groups of products in terms of muscle development, requires muscle testing for verification.
Muscle or Electromyographic (EMG) testing involves the placement of electrodes on specific and/or general areas of the body musculature to record:
- Resting activity
- Level of muscle activity associated with performing on or with a particular product and/or
- A comparison of levels of muscular activity resulting from tests between and among different exercise products for which advertising claims suggest there is a different.
To support claims of "full body workout", the following muscles are usually targeted for evaluation.
| Vastus Lateralis |
Biceps Femoris |
| Gluteus Maximus |
Gluteus Medius |
| External Oblique |
Rectus Abdominus |
| Pectoralis Major |
Biceps Brachii |
| Triceps Brachii |
Posterior Deltoid |
Caloric Expenditure
Advertising claims, explicit or implicit, which are made to the effect that an exercise product can affect the rate at which the body burns calories must be verified by a caloric expenditure protocol. If the claims suggest that this product performs the task of calorie burn more efficiently than another specific product or a group of products, comparative caloric expenditure tests are required between and among those devices named in the claim. If claims suggest that specific calories are being burned as a result of exercise on the product, i.e. fat calories vs. carbohydrate calories then a caloric expenditure test to verify that claim is required.
A caloric expenditure protocol involves the measuring of oxygen uptake of subjects while exercising on the specific product or on a number of products in the event comparative claims are made. Caloric expenditure tests are extremely accurate and considered the only valid and reliable method for determining calorie burn.
Heart Range Protocol
Products, which claim, explicitly or implicitly, to maintain a user within a specific heart rate range, i.e. fat burn, cardiovascular, aerobic, anaerobic, etc. must be verified by a heart rate range protocol. Claims which suggest that a product can maintain the user in specific heart rate ranges better than another product requires heart rate range testing between those specific products or categories of products.
A heart rate range protocol involves the analysis of interbeat intervals (IBI) while subjects are exercising on or with the products named in the claims. An IBI is the measurement in 1/100ths of a second of the time between successive P-waves caused by the contraction of the heart.
Baseline Study
The purpose of a Baseline Study is to determine if the claims that are intended to be made have any factual basis. Baseline studies involve small numbers of subjects and are initiated as a cost and time saving procedure before full statistical studies are implemented.
Statistical Study
A statistical study involves the appropriate number of subjects necessary to prove statistical significance. This type of study generally recognized as valid and reliable by the scientific community and defensible by the legal community.
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