I decided that I needed to be fair to her and see if it would result in the amazing performance gains that she and the company were making. If it did, I reasoned, I would surely notice them in my wattage and other bicycle performance data as I trained and raced my bike. After all, the claims are that the product would change my performance enough to make me perform like a pro cyclist. I reasoned that I owed it to her to at least try it since I had little to lose. I also thought I should know about this amazing product in case my competitors started dropping me at the races.
After finishing the four bottles and following her and the company's instructions, I can now say with a surety that the data on my performance is no better than it has been over the past several years and may actually be a little lower. I have no concerns that my competitors may be using this product!
As for my data, I know, for example, how many watts / kg I can put out my favorite climbs--both training rides and races. I have data on this for several years. Although I set personal records the last few years on all my favorite climbs, I have not set a PR this year and, more often, my performance has been down slightly. For example, I raced the Snowbird Hill Climb last weekend and was about 90 seconds slower than a guy that I beat in a local hill climb early last September. I was 9th overall this year, 6th overall last year and 9th overall the year before. My average wattage was roughly the same and I believe my weight was also roughly the same, although my bike is probably 1/2 pound lighter this year. I have at least a dozen similar data points since I've been using Asea this summer.
Since this wasn't a double-blind study on numerous people, I can't conclude that Asea doesn't work. However, I can say that I'm glad I didn't pay for this product! I'm still waiting for scientific data to support its claims but I seriously doubt I will see any. Even so, my experience is really only one observation and carries no more weight than the individual who claims he experienced major improvements. Either or both of us may be experiencing an artificial effect. For example, it's possible that I am too skeptical or that I may be 20% slower if I wasn't using Asea. Alternatively, the person who is claiming major improvements may be experiencing a placebo effect or may be having his training efforts bear fruit at the same time he is trying Asea.
In either case, I won't ever use this product again and if I were you, I would hold out for a double-blind study that is published (and reviewed by other scientists) in a respected journal before I would buy into this or any other miracle health or nutrition product!
This is doubly true for any product sold through an MLM--especially a vitamin or nutritional supplement. My advice is to hold on to your money until you see solid data! The placebo effect is real and money is a strong incentive for some people to believe they are seeing miracles.
Mark,
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should try some EPO, it seems to work for the Pro's!
Ok, your watts didn't go up, but did you recover quicker? I find that I recover quicker between hard efforts and from day to day while using ASEA regularly. You can still experience recovery gains between efforts and not see any wattage improvement.
ReplyDeleteRobert, I won't try any EPO, steroids, testosterone or anything illegal in bike races or that requires a prescription. I debated trying this and was hesitant to do so as I rarely take anything other than food, pain killers and allergy medicine (claritin) into my body. I have rarely had anything with caffeine, for example. However, because I discovered that this product was basically salt water and not prohibited by the doping authorities, I thought I was taking little risk. I decided ahead of time that if I did experience a change in performance that I would quit using it to make sure I didn't experience side effects. If a friend hadn't asked me to do it, I wouldn't have tried it.
ReplyDeleteCam, I haven't seen any change in recovery. I'll wait to see the tests on that. I personally don't believe a product such as this can be absorbed through the stomach without losing its supposed benefits in the process--even if it's taken on an empty stomach. The digestive process is going to break it down before it gets into the blood stream. I don't think it's rocket science...
Dad, why won't you try EPO, or othe performance enhancing drugs, everybody's doing it. :) Great review, I'll hold out for the double blinds too.
ReplyDeleteSilly Mark, you're not supposed to use a power meter. That completely negates the most important component of using Asea, the placebo effect.
ReplyDeleteHello Mark, found your blog and enjoyed your review and comments. It appears as I am trying to do the same as you. I will keep you posted.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Tim
Mark, thank you so much for your review. A friend just told me about this product a couple of days ago and I've been looking into it since then. As I told her; the ONLY positive statements I'm seeing about this product are testimonials and not one of them actually tested it in any measurable way. They just simply drank it and feel better. This is the EXACT reason for a double-blind test to be done... and not done by two people who are pro-Asea and threw out the first results because of "equipment errors".
ReplyDeleteFor the people using this product who have chronic issues and are getting relief; I just hope that relief continues. But to say that I'm extremely skeptical would be a understatement of epic proportions.
Again, thank you for an honest testimonial that was more than just an opinion of how you feel.
I had doubts about a product where each person is selling for money. My wife wanted to assist her headaches and found it upped her and made things worse-- both of us felt something. But I think that something was the hype from the peoples' energy selling it. I also have doubts about many pharmaceuticals too: double-blind people compiling the test results with one hand on the pin and the other on $$$s.
ReplyDeleteAfter 16 years of senosory neuropathy i have feeling back in my toes, the stinging sensations are gone, and the sore stiff muscle fatigue is also gone, i sleep more than 4 hrs. it works for some and not for others. I don't sell asea so i have no incentive to lie. i have never had this much pain relief from anything i tried before and pain from exerting myself doesn't linger for days either. i am confident that asea is real.
ReplyDeleteRobert, I am happy that you have experienced some progress in your health problems. It's important to note however, that without a real scientific study with proper protocol (e.g., double blind study) we (and you) can't tell if your relief is coincidental with your taking of ASEA. In fact, we don't know if the ASEA is making you better or worse, all we know is that around the same time you apparently started using it you had some improvements in your condition. I hope you continue to improve but one person's experience does not let us know if ASEA does any good. MLMs exist on these sorts of claims and given that ASEA has not been shown scientifically to benefit health, it's a safe bet that it's a waste of your money.
ReplyDeleteThere is one study that shows some double-blind results, on cyclists no less.
ReplyDeletehttp://aseapowersport.wordpress.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeakFviC_A4
It was done at the Human Performance Lab at Appalachian State, and David C. Nieman, who oversaw the study, seems reputable.
http://hles.appstate.edu/david-c-nieman
I've been using ASEA but am not an Associate with the company (a friend is, and is trying to sell me on the business model).
I checked out your links and there aren't any published studies only links to propaganda on ASEA's website. I am very skeptical of any "studies" that are not published in top notch peer reviewed scientific journals. In other words, unless it's published, it's basically anecdotal and as good as word of mouth. If there aren't any published studies yet, that tells me this product is not doing anything close to the claims. They would be able to detect the claimed effects very easily and a reputable study would be published in the top journals very quickly.
DeleteWell the good news is out, there are now double blind, placebo based, cross over studies with humans and mice (btw-the mice ran 29% further on ASEA, so much for the placebo factor) This study was conducted at the North Carolina Research Facility with Dr David Neiman and his researchers. The original study showed that ASEA was working even before exercise, with a change in 43 metabolites all in positive ways with zero toxicity. BTW- the placebo that they used was SALT WATER. If I were you, I would give ASEA another shot, because your competitors are using it and many of them won medals at the olympics. If you want the real scoop on this life changing product, go to www.asea.net and watch the Metabolites video. This product is changing lives and it is a shame that people that have no business trashing it, do so. My husband is a doctor with 100's of patients on it and the things we see are no less than miracles.
DeleteIn answer to MZ above, the published paper will be out by April 2013 by Dr David Neiman (who is not an ASEA rep)so go ahead and wait, your loss. I will check back when the paper is published, but I am sure you will have an answer for that too.
Good luck and someday you will be enlightened, in the mean time, I hope you or a loved one doesn't need this amazing Redox Signaling Molecule drink. I just wish people who don't know what they are talking about, who haven't done the research would stop ruining it for others, those that could really use this life changing drink.
If you are reading this and you need hope, please find someone to help you get ASEA.
Sincerely,
Terri
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTerri - Dr. David Nieman may not be an ASEA rep. However he was given a $194,000 grant by Reoxcyn Discoveries Group for the study - see below. Reoxcyn's registered agent is Verdis Norton who happens to be a co-founder of ASEA.
DeleteDavid Nieman
Integrated metabolomics and pharmacokinetics strategy for measuring human metabolite response to ingestion of ASEAEffect of ASEA ingestion on treadmill endurance capacity, fuel substrate utilization, tissue inflammation, tissue oxidative stress in mice
3/1/2012 - 12/31/2012
Sponsor: Reoxcyn Discoveries Group
Funding: $ 194,854.00
See this website for an interesting article on ASEA:
http://www.lazymanandmoney.com/asea-scam/
Be careful about what you read on the web, many bloggers are not providing reviews for free. You know what i mean?
DeleteI'm not talking about Lazy Man specifically...
Anyway, if you're curious about a product or a business, do your own due-diligence. It's fair!. But if you want to touch really by hand, just try...if you are not satisfied quit.
I don't want to support Asea (I will not put my link for sure) but with a 30 days money back guarantee there's nothing to lose: no benefits no more use
Hi I suffer with 2 debilitating disabilities and have been asked to trial Asea - with the hope I will become a spokes person for them ?
ReplyDeleteWhat would anyone's advice be, iv been told I should feel more energy, better sleep, less pain etc
Will you let me know your results? Thanks
DeleteOne interesting but possibly misleading stat was saying you were 90 seconds lower than a person you beat last time and that you came in 9th rather than 6th.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't tell us if you were faster or slower than last year. Maybe the other guy improved more than you did.
And maybe some of the others who beat you were drinking more ASEA than you.
To say you were "roughly" the same weight as last year is a big slip slide as well. Are you five pounds heavier? Ten pounds?
Here you can find the summary of results about double-blind study:
ReplyDeletehttp://myaseaonline.info/asea.net/USEnglish/ASEA_Research_Summary_Presentation.pdf
Funding of the third party review and test is normal. No Entity perform studies on commercial products for free!
Regards,
Matteo Magaldi
Until this or another study is published in a reputable, peer-reviewed, journal, it should be regarded as nothing more than someone's biased opinion. There is a lot of research showing that people who are motivated to come to a conclusion will even subconsciously reason in ways that cause them to be biased.
DeleteAs I've said before, we need a reputable, peer reviewed, double blind study before we can start to conclude whether or not this product is helpful. Because the claims are so outrageous, a serious study would be published in the best journals in the nation because this product would be life changing! Since there have been none published in over 3 years since this product came out, I doubt the product does what the company claims.
So is The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology considered a reputable peer-reviewed journal worthy of serious consideration in your opinion?
DeleteLet me reply because I signed on the dotted line for this stuff. It all sounded interesting but the first red flags went up when I said I wanted to try it myself before selling it to anyone. That was discouraged because they pointed to one of their top guys who even though the stuff did nothing for him still he sold it (and has done really well at it). Reason being even though it did nothing for him he wanted to see others benefit from it. Yep pretty selfless. Well because I consider myself a person of honesty and integrity I still wanted to try it out first. Well after almost a month it did seem to help perhaps on healing a bruise quickly. I was then asked to give my testimony on our little charge up calls (Go Team) On both occasions I was prepped a bit before speaking on the call. They basically wanted me to not say that ASEA cured me of anything (a legal thing I guess) but that while I was taking ASEA this happened. Semantics I guess. And I guess the listeners could come to their own conclusions. I stopped participating after the second call because the woman (one of their Diamonds) tried to create talking points for me besides the usual legal stuff. I thought just telling what happened would be the best and most honest thing to say in my own words. Guess not. Well after taking ASEA for almost 2 months I got a huge attack of vertigo which ended me up in the ER. I stopped taking ASEA and the vertigo went away (just saying).Keep in mind you are drinking a type of salt water even though it states its not harmful. You will take notice that some of the people making a huge amount of money(Diamonds) in this are actually professional sales people who were very successful at selling other stuff before I was also alarmed at some of the links we were sent on testimonies by some we were asked to not share this with the public. Why not? If its a good testimony why not share it.Im not mad at ASEA or anything like that. In my experience it seems to lack integrity.If you want to buy into the fountain of youth deal go ahead because the main people they are targeting are baby boomers who are getting older and trying to regain their youth. Funny though if this stuff works so well how come they don't want to make direct claims that it works? Probably because it doesn't. I was also cautioned to not tell anyone to google ASEA because "We don't do that". I know there is a lot of misinformation on the internet but aren't people smart enough to discern true from false? Im not implying that anyone is doing anything illegal or anything. I personally think its unethical to not be able tell things as you see them. Plus do you really want to buy or sell a product that makes no real claims about its product besides the fact that its really just expensive pool water. Your choice thats just my opinion. Google some of their main players(Diamonds) and check their backgrounds.They have made a lot of money selling stuff. And Im all for capitalism and all but I digress... This company was really smart putting this together. PS Im not against MLM at all. Just against people who I feel are not being upfront and trying to manipulate things. That statement is not pointed just at ASEA but any company that would do this.
ReplyDeleteThe FDA will not allow people to make any claims for of healing by any supplement. We can not say the name of any diagnosis in connection with this or any other natural product. Many companies have been shut down by the government for distributors making claims that their product cured a condition. The FDA allows ONLY that we share symptoms (in place of a diagnosis) and we are required to always include a disclaimer that our product doesn't treat or cure anything. (Only the pharmaceuticals are allowed to make the claims of healing diseases.) If we were allowed to share openly what has been found to work for many conditions and diseases, many people would be AMAZED and begging for similar results. I have found ASEA to have the highest integrity as well as an amazing product.
DeleteThe FDA allows companies to make claims that have a strong scientific basis. If ASEA has even a fraction of the claimed benefits, those benefits would show up in clinical trials and peer reviewed, double blind studies. The pharmaceuticals have to follow the same, rigorous process before they can make any meaningful claims related to their drugs.
DeleteAnother way of thinking about it is that if ASEA were as amazing as you make it out to be, and if this supposed double standard existed, why wouldn't one of the big pharmaceuticals acquire it (or develop a competing product) so they could make boatloads of money selling a miracle product that has FDA approval?
I have been taking ASEA since April. My eyesight, short and long term memory, concentration, digestion, elimination have all improved. I have had an upturn in my energy, not spiking, but on an even keel from morning until bedtime. Arthritis is gone from both my hands and my skin is remarkably smooth and supple. I had a scar on my upper lip which was a bear to deal with when applying a lip pencil. It is virtually gone and the skin there is now smooth with no problems applying the lip pencil. My stamina and strength are also increased as well as physical performance. All in all, I am extremely well pleased with my results with ASEA. It has also helped with the elimination of parasites for which I am very grateful.
ReplyDeleteWow--I didn't know ASEA could do all those things including scar removal. I'm surprised JK Rowling didn't just have Voldamort drink ASEA in order to come back from the dead...
ReplyDeleteDouble Blind is the answer, but my money is on....."we found it to be simply....water, and salt". If the owners knew they had a special product, they would have done the double blind already. And, Nieman at App State (paid $200k) should hang his head.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/accused-of-lying-about-asea-not-guilty/
ReplyDeleteAnyone who wants to dramatically improve health and performance should change their water
ReplyDeleteand get off all the highly acidic mainstream "performance boosters." This is especially important for you more mainstream athletes who tend to pound very acid things that keep lactic acid build up high, creating fatigue and muscle soreness. This is the #1 little secrete that give the winners that edge over the pack.