There was neither significant difference in the maximum performance between NSAIDs and control groups nor in the time until exhaustion nor in self-perceived pain .
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ) are medications that are frequently used by athletes .
There may also be some abuse of these substances , although it is unclear whether NSAIDs in fact enhance performance .
We performed a systematic review and meta- analysis to evaluate the effect of NSAIDs on sport performance indices .
A Systematic Examination of the Citation of Prior Research in Reports of Randomized, Controlled Trials
BACKGROUND A r and omized , controlled trial ( RCT ) should not be started or interpreted without accounting for evidence from preceding RCTs addressing the same question . Research has suggested that evidence from prior trials is often not accounted for in reports of subsequent RCTs . OBJECTIVE To assess the extent to which reports of RCTs cite prior trials study ing the same interventions . DESIGN Meta-analyses published in 2004 that combined 4 or more trials were identified ; within each meta- analysis , the extent to which each trial report cited the trials that preceded it by more than 1 year was assessed . MEASUREMENTS The proportion of prior trials that were cited  ( prior research citation index ) , the proportion of the total participants from prior trials that were in the cited trials  ( sample size citation index ) , and the absolute number of trials cited were calculated . RESULTS 227 meta-analyses were identified , comprising 1523 trials published from 1963 to 2004 . The median prior research citation index was 0.21 ( 95 % CI , 0.18 to 0.24 ) , meaning that less than one quarter of relevant reports were cited . The median sample size citation index ( 0.24 [ CI , 0.21 to 0.27 ] ) was similar , suggesting that larger trials were not selectively cited . Of the 1101 RCTs that had 5 or more prior trials to cite , 254 ( 23 % ) cited no prior RCTs and 257 ( 23 % ) cited only 1 . The median number of prior cited trials was 2 , which did not change as the number of citable trials increased . The mean number of preceding trials cited by trials published after 2000 was 2.4 , compared with 1.5 for those published before 2000 ( P < 0.001 ) . LIMITATION The investigators could not ascertain why prior trials were not cited , and noncited trials may have been taken into account in the trial design and proposal stages . CONCLUSION In reports of RCTs published over 4 decades , fewer than 25 % of preceding trials were cited , comprising fewer than 25 % of the participants enrolled in all relevant prior trials . A median of 2 trials was cited , regardless of the number of prior trials that had been conducted . Research is needed to explore the explanations for and consequences of this phenomenon . Potential implication s include ethically unjustifiable trials , wasted re sources , incorrect conclusions , and unnecessary risks for trial participants . PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE None
There was neither significant difference in the maximum performance between NSAIDs and control groups nor in the time until exhaustion nor in self-perceived pain .
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ) are medications that are frequently used by athletes .
There may also be some abuse of these substances , although it is unclear whether NSAIDs in fact enhance performance .
We performed a systematic review and meta- analysis to evaluate the effect of NSAIDs on sport performance indices .