Dr Claire-Marie Roberts, a leading sports-performance director, says professional football is increasingly being misled by pseudoscientific products and practices promising quick improvements in performance and recovery. She argues that glossy marketing exploits players, coaches and performance staff who are searching for shortcuts, creating a widening gap between scientific evidence and what clubs actually do.

Roberts questions the value of cryotherapy chambers and ice baths, saying evidence for their benefits is weak and that they may even blunt muscular adaptation. She also criticises indiscriminate supplement use, arguing that products should address proven deficiencies rather than compensate for poor sleep or diet. In her view, clubs should prioritise the basics—quality sleep, sound nutrition and evidence-based methods—over expensive gimmicks such as “oxygen in a can”.