Is Muscle Testing to Diagnose Nutritional Status Quackery or a Quick Fix?

My undergraduate degree is in kinesiology so naturally I was curious when I stumbled across the idea of Applied Kinesiology. I read some information online regarding a practitioner that used Applied Kinesiology (AK), and more specifically muscle testing to diagnose food allergies and other nutrient deficiencies. As a dietitian and nutrition expert this peaked my interest because I work with individuals with food allergies and nutrient deficiencies nearly every day. It is also important thing to note that AK is not the same as the study of kinesiology (biomechanics), which is the scientific study of principles of movement and anatomy in relation to human movement.

Applied Kinesiology is a diagnostic technique used within the Integrative Medical Community. It uses the modification of the motor system in assessing and treating the causes of musculoskeletal dysfunction. The basic idea behind AK is that every organ dysfunction is accompanied by a muscle weakness, which enables disease to be diagnosed through a muscle testing procedure. Manual muscle strength testing is used for a variety of purposes in the health care setting. Applied Kinesiology (AK) practitioners use manual muscle testing (MMT) to identify what are believed to be immediate neurological responses to a variety of challenges and treatments. (1) AK proponents claim that nutrient deficiencies, allergies, and other adverse reactions to foods or nutrients can be detected by using MMT techniques also known as Nutrition Response Testing (NRT). This usually involves having the patient chew or suck on these items or by placing them on the tongue so that the patient salivates. Some practitioners advise that the patient merely hold the test material in their hand or have the material placed on a part of the body. At this point in my research I began to roll my eyes. Sounds like quackery to me, but I decided to go ahead and look at the research.

I began my search by looking in PubMed for good quality research on the subject and I even typed “research on applied kinesiology” into Google search. I found that there is limited scientific research on Applied Kinesiology. Also, many of the published studies have not established links between muscle responses and disease.

Researchers reviewed the literature from the AK field consisting of 50 papers as well as non-clinical studies and concluded that the research published by the Applied Kinesiology field itself is not to be relied upon. These researchers also concluded that Applied Kinesiology has not been demonstrated to be a useful or reliable diagnostic tool upon which health decisions can be based. (2)

A commentary and critique of a literature review done by Cuthbert and Goodheart (the founder of AK) found that the original review had several methodological deficiencies. The authors of the commentary conclude that the validity of the AK procedures as diagnostic tests can’t be supported. They found that the use of MMT for the diagnosis of organic disease or disease conditions is not supported by research. (3)

One website I found stated that Nutrition Response Testing is very precise and scientific. This is misleading! How is it scientific or precise? The research is seriously lacking and most of the research indicates that this is not a reliable way to diagnose illnesses of any kind.

A study of sixty-five patients independently evaluated using AK techniques and laboratory testing concluded that AK enhanced but did not replace clinical/laboratory diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction. (4) I had to dig back as far as a 1988 to find anything regarding AK in the diagnosis of nutritional status. In a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, eleven subjects were evaluated independently by three applied kinesiologists for four nutrient deficiencies (thiamin, zinc, vitamin A, and ascorbic acid). The results obtained were compared to lab results and computerized isometric muscle testing. The results of the study indicated that the use of applied kinesiology to evaluate nutrient status is no more useful than random guessing. (5) This study was limited in the small subject size and limited nutrients being tested. More research would be beneficial in determining if MMT or NRT has any merit in diagnosing nutritional status.

There are several well-known physicians that conclude that the best AK tests and procedures are ineffective in studies comparing them to standard medical techniques. There is no good scientific evidence to support the claims made by AK practitioners. Even Dr. Andrew Weil, a well-known natural health and wellness physician, agrees that the AK techniques are not reliable (see his website http://www.drweil.com).

I understand that people who suffer from food allergies, experience low energy, or feel sick may fall for scary words and phrases such as “chemical imbalances” or “organ dysfunction.” They may want a quick fix and not want to have to go through blood testing or see a physician. People can be easily manipulated into thinking that this so called “natural” and “holistic” approach will solve all of their problems. The old adage of “if it sounds too good to be true” most definitely applies here. At best being tested for food allergies or nutrient deficiencies using MMT or NRT techniques will likely only temporarily work (think placebo effect) and at worse a potentially serious illness may go undiagnosed and untreated. Although it may not pose an acute danger to health, if there is a misdiagnosed allergy or nutrient deficiency this could have serious consequences in the long run. What if there is a misdiagnosis of nutrient deficiency and nutrient supplements are provided in the absence of a clinical diagnosis through blood testing? This could lead to the potential for toxicity.

Many of the practitioners I found online want to sell their clients specific nutrient or herbal supplementation. They find “imbalances” and “deficiencies” using pseudoscience and convince their client to purchase $200 worth of supplements. The client may leave the appointment having no idea what they are taking and if the supplements are effective or safe. As a registered dietitian I occasionally recommend a supplement to a client, but only after ample research regarding a specific supplement and brand has been completed and a true clinical diagnosis or laboratory test confirms a true allergy or deficiency.

My advice? Don’t fall for this quackery. Consult with a registered dietitian who specializes in food allergies if you suspect a food allergy. If you suspect a micronutrient deficiency then it is smart to get a micronutrient blood test. Be an educated consumer and don’t rely on pseudoscience.

1. Conable, K and Rosner, A. A narrative review of manual muscle testing and implications for muscle testing research. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 2011. 10(3): 157-165

2. Schwartz S, Utts J and Spottiswoode S, et al. A Double-Blind, Randomized Study to Assess the Validity of Applied Kinesiology (AK) as a Diagnostic Tool and as a Nonlocal Proximity Effect. The Journal of Science and Healing. 2014. 10(2) 99-108

3. Haas M, Cooperstein R, and Peterson D. Disentangling manual muscle testing and Applied Kinesiology: Critique and reinterpretation of a literature review. Chiropractic and Osteopathy 2007, 15:11.

4. Jabocs GE, Franks TL, Gilman PG. Diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction: applied kinesiology compared to clinical observation laboratory tests. Journal of Manipulative Physiology Therapeutics. 1984, 7(2): 99-104.

5. Kenney JJ, Clemens R, and Forsythe KD. Applied Kinesiology unreliable for assessing nutrient status. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1988 88 (6); 698-704.