Analysis of Newspaper Article
Running head: ANALYSIS OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
Analysis of Newspaper Article
LaToya L. Allen, RN
HCS 438: Statistical Applications
University of Phoenix
Saran Wilkins, PhD
September 15, 2006
Analysis of Newspaper Article Exercising daily is beneficial to a person 's health. While many people exercise for this reason, they are seeking methods to improve endurance and performance. In an attempt to offer durability and better endurance, sports drink manufacturers have started to add protein to their products. "Sports drinks improve performance during prolonged exercise because of two key ingredients, carbohydrates and sodium (Preidt, 2006)." The carbohydrates provide the fuel and the sodium aids in maintaining fluid balance. While sports drinks may be helpful during exercise, added protein may or may not increase performance. Gatorade and Accelerade sports drink companies sponsored two studies to determine if this is true. One study thinks that adding protein increases performance, the other does not.
Type of statistical procedure used Sometimes individuals are aware of the experiment and may not be honest about the results from the test. In this test, experimenters were trying to avoid the placebo effect. The placebo effect is when people improve because they think that they are receiving useful treatment (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2003). To rule out the possibility of the placebo effect, the athletes were told that some of the drinks will contain protein; they were not told which ones. The placebo effect would alter the test and the results would be biased because the athletes would claim performance improvement, thinking that their drinks contained protein. When using a placebo, the athletes must know that the drinks may or may not contain protein. But, they must also know that they will not be able to tell the difference in taste. The placebo appears to be the same but lacks the active ingredient; in this case there was no
Analysis of Newspaper Article
LaToya L. Allen, RN
HCS 438: Statistical Applications
University of Phoenix
Saran Wilkins, PhD
September 15, 2006
Analysis of Newspaper Article Exercising daily is beneficial to a person 's health. While many people exercise for this reason, they are seeking methods to improve endurance and performance. In an attempt to offer durability and better endurance, sports drink manufacturers have started to add protein to their products. "Sports drinks improve performance during prolonged exercise because of two key ingredients, carbohydrates and sodium (Preidt, 2006)." The carbohydrates provide the fuel and the sodium aids in maintaining fluid balance. While sports drinks may be helpful during exercise, added protein may or may not increase performance. Gatorade and Accelerade sports drink companies sponsored two studies to determine if this is true. One study thinks that adding protein increases performance, the other does not.
Type of statistical procedure used Sometimes individuals are aware of the experiment and may not be honest about the results from the test. In this test, experimenters were trying to avoid the placebo effect. The placebo effect is when people improve because they think that they are receiving useful treatment (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2003). To rule out the possibility of the placebo effect, the athletes were told that some of the drinks will contain protein; they were not told which ones. The placebo effect would alter the test and the results would be biased because the athletes would claim performance improvement, thinking that their drinks contained protein. When using a placebo, the athletes must know that the drinks may or may not contain protein. But, they must also know that they will not be able to tell the difference in taste. The placebo appears to be the same but lacks the active ingredient; in this case there was no
References: Bennett, J.O. Briggs, W.L., & Triola, M.F. (2003). Statistical reasoning for everyday life (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Preidt, R. Health Day News. (Aug 2006). Studies Divided on Value of Adding Protein to Sports Drinks. Retrieved September 4, 2006 from http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=63522