Originally Posted by PeteHski

Yep, we can definitely agree you are cynical. Especially if you think this is how gravel bikes came about!

My take is that a lot of people have simply lost that simple connection with the natural world in their everyday lives and maybe there are some potential negative consequences. It's a bit like taking vitamin D supplements in lieu of getting enough natural sunlight. The science is clearly limited as to the potential benefits of being adequately grounded, but I wouldn't dismiss it as nonsense. The scientific studies carried out on the effect grounding has on blood flow are at least interesting. I agree that the commercial products are a bit pointless since grounding is pretty simple to achieve for free. I have tried it very briefly by walking around barefoot in the garden and it felt pretty good. Certainly felt like a good stress reliever if nothing else.