Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.2
4.8
Journals
Nutrients
Special Issues
The Placebo Effect of Ergogenic Aids: Sport Performance, Subjective Feelings...
nutrients-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Nutrients Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

The Placebo Effect of Ergogenic Aids: Sport Performance, Subjective Feelings and Potential Side-Effects

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 February 2025 | Viewed by 13332

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Juan J. Salinero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sports Training Laboratory, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Castilla La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Interests: caffeine; energy drinks; placebo effect; exercise performance; running performance; track and field
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The placebo effect in sports nutrition (the improvement of sport performance derived from the belief of having ingested an ergogenic substance) has been gaining special interest in recent years. The possibility of improving physical performance by administering a harmless substance offers a remarkable opportunity for coaches and sport nutritionists.

Only a few substances have demonstrated solid effects in improving sports performance. Substances such as creatine, bicarbonate or caffeine have been shown to be effective in improving performance in several sports scenarios, while other substances have shown contradictory effects in current research.  However, the intake of some of these substances may present certain adverse effects that interfere with sports performance and/or the health of the athlete, so the suitability of the use of these substances should be assessed on a cost–benefit basis, and the doses and timing of use should be adapted to the individual needs of the athlete. For example, insomnia derived from caffeine ingestion could diminish sport performance in the subsequent training or competitive session.

Several studies have shown that the placebo effect achieves effects of a similar magnitude as the ergogenic substances studied, so the clever use of placebos could be an effective strategy to improve sport performance at different points in the sport season.

As the Guest Editor of the Special Edition ‘The Placebo Effect of Ergogenic Aids: Sport Performance, Subjective Feelings and Potential Side-effects’, I invite you to submit a manuscript to Nutrients, one of the most read and cited research journals in the field of Sports Nutrition. The objective of this Special Issue is to bring together researchers in the fields of sports and exercise nutrition to explore the placebo effect for the enhancement of exercise performance, with a particular focus on sports scenarios. This could include, for example, the influence of the placebo effect on endurance, strength or sprint performance, and/or subjective perceptions (perceived effort, activeness, etc.). Within this Special Issue, experimental research, systematic and meta-analysis and narrative reviews are welcome to advance our knowledge of the placebo effect and its successful use in sports.

Dr. Juan J. Salinero
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • placebo effect
  • ergogenic aids
  • sport performance
  • endurance performance
  • strength performance
  • sprint performance
  • perceived effects
  • side effects

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review, Other

12 pages, 275 KiB  
Article
Placebo Effect of Caffeine on Physiological Parameters and Physical Performance
by David Ortiz-Sánchez, Alfredo Bravo-Sánchez, María Ramírez-delaCruz, Pablo Abián and Javier Abián-Vicén
Nutrients 2024, 16(10), 1405; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101405 - 7 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2579
Abstract
This study aimed to analyse the placebo effect associated with a high dose of caffeine (9 mg/kg) on heart rate and its variability and on strength tests. Methods: 18 participants experienced in strength training (19.7 ± 2.3 years; 72.2 ± 15.0 kg; 169.6 [...] Read more.
This study aimed to analyse the placebo effect associated with a high dose of caffeine (9 mg/kg) on heart rate and its variability and on strength tests. Methods: 18 participants experienced in strength training (19.7 ± 2.3 years; 72.2 ± 15.0 kg; 169.6 ± 9.0 cm) performed two days of trials (caffeine-informed/placebo-ingested (placebo) and non-ingested (control)). Firstly, heart rate and its variability were measured while participants lay down for 15 min. After that, bench press and squat tests were performed at 3 different loads (50%, 75% and 90% of 1RM). Perception of performance, effort and side effects were also evaluated. Results: no differences were found in the vast majority of strength variables analysed. Resting heart rate decreased in the placebo trial (60.39 ± 10.18 bpm control vs. 57.56 ± 9.50 bpm placebo, p = 0.040), and mean RR increased (1020.1 ± 172.9 ms control vs. 1071.5 ± 185.7 ms placebo, p = 0.032). Heart rate variability and perception of performance and effort were similar between conditions (p > 0.05 in all cases). Side effects such as activeness and nervousness were reported while consuming the placebo. Conclusions: the placebo effect did not modify performance in the majority of the strength test variables, HRV and perception of performance and effort. However, resting heart rate was reduced, mean RR increased, and some side effects appeared in the placebo trial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Placebo Effect of Ergogenic Aids: Sport Performance, Subjective Feelings and Potential Side-Effects)
10 pages, 613 KiB  
Article
Belief That Caffeine Ingestion Improves Performance in a 6-Minute Time Trial Test without Affecting Pacing Strategy
by Fernando Valero, Fernando González-Mohíno and Juan José Salinero
Nutrients 2024, 16(2), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16020327 - 22 Jan 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3722
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the placebo effect associated with caffeine ingestion on running performance. Methods: Thirteen recreationally trained males in long-distance running (age: 38.5 ± 11.9 years, 11.0 ± 8.8 years of running experience) performed a 6 min time trial test in [...] Read more.
This study aimed to analyze the placebo effect associated with caffeine ingestion on running performance. Methods: Thirteen recreationally trained males in long-distance running (age: 38.5 ± 11.9 years, 11.0 ± 8.8 years of running experience) performed a 6 min time trial test in each experimental condition (caffeine-informed/placebo ingested (placebo) and non-ingested (control)) separated by 7 days. The total distance covered was measured, and partial times of each 400 m were used to analyze the pacing strategy. Heart rate and kinematic variables were recorded for each split. In addition, the rate of perceived exertion and prevalence of caffeine side effects was measured using questionnaires. Results: Placebo ingestion improved running performance in the 6 min time trial test (1668 ± 139 m placebo vs. 1642 ± 158 m control, t = 2.49; p = 0.03; moderate ES = 0.69), while pacing, heart rate, RPE, and kinematic variables were similar between conditions (p > 0.05 in all cases). Minor side effects were reported. Conclusions: Beliefs of caffeine ingestion can improve running performance at speeds around maximal aerobic speed in recreationally trained runners without affecting pacing strategy so this “nutritional” strategy could be useful in competition scenarios. As a practical application, recreationally trained runners could improve ≈5 s in 1500 m or mile competitions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Placebo Effect of Ergogenic Aids: Sport Performance, Subjective Feelings and Potential Side-Effects)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

15 pages, 967 KiB  
Review
Placebo and Nocebo Effects on Sports and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Literature Review Update
by Bhavya Chhabra and Attila Szabo
Nutrients 2024, 16(13), 1975; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16131975 - 21 Jun 2024
Viewed by 3045
Abstract
Sports performance could be affected by placebo and nocebo effects. The last literature review on placebo and nocebo effects on sports and exercise performance was published in 2019. In the past five years, several new studies have been published. This review aimed to [...] Read more.
Sports performance could be affected by placebo and nocebo effects. The last literature review on placebo and nocebo effects on sports and exercise performance was published in 2019. In the past five years, several new studies have been published. This review aimed to update the previous synthesis and evaluate the results of new studies focusing on placebo or nocebo interventions in sports and exercise by determining the form and magnitude of their effect. Hence, we searched for empirical studies published from 2019 until the end of May 2024 indexed in PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Google Scholar databases. The search yielded 20 eligible studies with control or baseline-control conditions, focusing on nutritional, mechanical, and other mixed ergogenic aids. They yielded small to large placebo effects (Cohen’s d) for nutritional (d = 0.86), mechanical (d = 0.38), cream and gel (d = 0.05), and open-label placebo (d = 0.16) interventions. The pooled effect size for placebo effects was moderate to large (d = 0.67), larger than in the earlier review, suggesting that placebo effects can improve motor performance even more than previously reported. However, based on five measures from three studies, the nocebo effects were almost twice as large (d = 1.20). Accordingly, the current findings support and expand the last review in the field by yielding additional support for placebo and nocebo effects in sports and exercise. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Placebo Effect of Ergogenic Aids: Sport Performance, Subjective Feelings and Potential Side-Effects)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

14 pages, 466 KiB  
Systematic Review
Caffeine Placebo Effect in Sport and Exercise: A Systematic Review
by Alejandro Vega-Muñoz, Nicolás Contreras-Barraza, Guido Salazar-Sepúlveda, Nelson Lay, Miseldra Gil-Marín and Nicolás Muñoz-Urtubia
Nutrients 2024, 16(18), 3219; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16183219 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2928
Abstract
The objective of this review article is to systematically identify the caffeine placebo effect in sport and exercise activities. We selected randomized controlled trial studies to better understand the impact of caffeine and its placebo effect on sports performance. We extracted a set [...] Read more.
The objective of this review article is to systematically identify the caffeine placebo effect in sport and exercise activities. We selected randomized controlled trial studies to better understand the impact of caffeine and its placebo effect on sports performance. We extracted a set of articles that refer strictly to the topics of caffeine and its placebo effect in sport and exercise, considering the databases integrated to the Core Collection Web of Science and Scopus, as well as the registration of the documents in PubMed®, a system with a selection process aligned with the guidelines for the PRISMA methodology, establishing the eligibility criteria of the articles with the PICOS tool, to which a systematic review is applied. Finally, the results show that caffeine improves anaerobic capacity and endurance, while placebo perceived as caffeine can also increase performance by reducing pain and improving concentration. This finding underscores the influence of expectations and placebo on physical performance, suggesting that managing these expectations may be an effective strategy for improving athletic performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Placebo Effect of Ergogenic Aids: Sport Performance, Subjective Feelings and Potential Side-Effects)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop