Athletes put their faith in power of magnets By Sal Ruibal Denver Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski KO's quarterbacks, then sleeps like a baby on a magnetic mattress pad. Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu throws a wicked split-finger fastball with dozens of magnets stuck to his body. Senior PGA Tour golfer Jim Colbert swings for the greens with dollar bill-sized magnets strapped to his lower back.
Magnetic therapy is the hottest trend among professional athletes.
But the idea of using magnetic fields to increase blood circulation in injured tissue and encourage healing by stimulating the nervous system goes back thousands of years to ancient Greece and Egypt. The original Olympic athletes might have used magnets. The trend is so lucrative, athletes are adding brand-name magnets to their list of endorsements, along with sneakers and soda pops. Colbert, top money winner on the PGA Senior Tour the last two years, endorses Tectonic Magnets. Pro Bowl linebacker Romanowski works for BIOflex Magnets.