Evidence map›Paper›PMID 18308873›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of sports medicine2008

The use of medication and nutritional supplements during FIFA World Cups 2002 and 2006.

P Tscholl, A Junge, J Dvorak

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of sports medicine, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
38citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

38 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Analgesic Use in Sports.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2023
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Ibuprofen alters human testicular physiology to produce a state of compensated hypogonadism.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2018
    Trial
  6. Article
  7. Painkiller use in amateur football: high prevalence, but limited misuse.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2025
    Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Soccer (football) and brain health.Journal of neurology · 2024
    Review
  13. Article
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  15. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

P TschollFIFA Medical Assessment and Research Center, Schulthess Klinik, Zurich, Switzerland.
A Junge
J Dvorak

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo examine medication use in male top-level football players prior to and during international tournaments.

designProspective survey. MATERIAL: 2944 team physicians' reports on players' medication intake.

methodsEach team physician was asked to document all medication and nutritional supplements taken in the 72 h prior to each match.

resultsA total of 10,384 substances were reported (1.8 substances/player/match); 4450 (42.9%) of these were medicinal and 5934 (57.1%) nutritional supplements. The medications prescribed most frequently were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (n = 2092; 20.1%); more than half of the players took these at least once during a tournament and more than 10% prior to every match (156 out of 1472). Beta-2-agonists were reported for 1.4% (n = 20) and inhaled corticosteroids for 1.6% (n = 23) of participating players. Injected corticosteroids were reported for 73 players.

conclusionsThe high intake of medication in international football--especially of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs--is alarming and should be addressed. The results raise questions as to whether the medication was taken solely for therapeutic reasons. In view of the potential side effects, more restrictive recommendations for sport need to be developed.

Indexed as

SoccerAdrenal Cortex HormonesAdultAnalgesicsAnti-Infective AgentsAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalDietary SupplementsDoping in SportsDrug UtilizationHumansMaleMicronutrientsMuscle Relaxants, CentralProspective StudiesProton Pump InhibitorsRespiratory System AgentsAdrenal Cortex HormonesAnalgesicsAnti-Infective AgentsAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalMicronutrientsMuscle Relaxants, CentralProton Pump InhibitorsRespiratory System Agents

Identifiers

PMID18308873
PMCPMC2582332

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.