Applied kinesiology: what to know first

Applied kinesiology is a hands-on practice in which a practitioner tests the strength of your muscles to draw conclusions about your health, the foods you eat or the supplements you might need. People often try it for questions about nutrition, food sensitivities or general well-being. Its evidence rating is insufficient, which means there is no reliable evidence that its test results mean anything beyond chance.

What it is

Applied kinesiology, often shortened to AK, has a long history within chiropractic, and many chiropractors use some form of it. Its main professional body, the International College of Applied Kinesiology, says it has trained and supported practitioners since 1964.

The central idea, as practitioners describe it, is that a muscle that tests relatively weak points to a problem somewhere else in the body. That problem might be stress on an organ or an imbalance that practitioners call biochemical or emotional. Many practitioners also say that muscle testing while you hold a food, a vitamin or a question in mind shows whether that thing is good for you. They describe the method as real-time guidance on what to do next.

AK is not the same as ordinary manual muscle testing. That is a normal part of a physical exam, used to check weakness in muscles affected by pain, injury or nerve problems, and it is useful for that. AK takes the same basic action and uses it to make much broader claims.

What a session is like

Your practitioner will usually be a licensed health professional, most often a chiropractor. During a kinesiology muscle test, they press on one of your arms or legs while you push back, and they judge whether the muscle “tests strong” or “tests weak.” You may be asked to hold a vitamin or a food sample, or to think of a question, and then the muscle is tested again. The pressure is generally gentle.

Before you book, it helps to ask:

• What is the test meant to show in my case?
• How will you confirm any finding with standard medical tests?
• If you suggest supplements, what will they cost?

What research says

When applied kinesiology has been tested under careful conditions, it has not held up. In a 2014 double-blind, randomized study, practitioners tested 51 people with sealed vials of plain salt water or salt water containing a toxic compound. They picked the toxic vial correctly 53 percent of the time, about what guessing would give. The authors concluded that in studies meeting accepted scientific standards, AK has not been shown to be a useful or reliable diagnostic tool. They also said that research published within the AK field should not be relied upon.

A 1988 study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association had experienced practitioners test people for four nutrients. The practitioners did not agree with each other, their results did not match laboratory tests, and muscles responded the same way to placebos and to real supplements. The study was small, but the authors found AK no more useful than random guessing.

A 2007 critique in the journal Chiropractic & Osteopathy, written by chiropractic researchers, found that the few studies of AK’s own procedures either refute them or cannot support them. It concluded that current evidence does not support muscle testing for diagnosing disease. You may still find a hands-on consultation reassuring, but the test results themselves are not reliable.

Who should be careful

The test itself is physical and generally gentle. The real risk comes from acting on the results. You could miss or delay a real diagnosis, cut out foods you have no need to avoid, or spend money on supplements you do not need.

Do not use AK to check for disease, allergies or nutrient deficiencies. A clinician and standard tests, such as blood tests, are the reliable route. If an AK session leads to a suggestion that you stop a medicine or change your treatment, talk to your doctor before changing anything. If you have symptoms that are new, severe or not improving, see a doctor or other licensed clinician rather than relying on this alone.

How it fits with the pillars

Applied kinesiology presents itself as a body-based way to read your health through your muscles, which places it in the body pillar. Its appeal is easy to understand: it is quick and hands-on, and it seems to give a clear answer.

If food, energy or supplements are what draw you to it, evidence-based nutrition is a sounder place to start. Our guide to whole foods for steady energy covers what is known about eating well day to day.