Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31468171›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2019

No acute effects of placebo or open-label placebo treatments on strength, voluntary activation, and neuromuscular fatigue.

Alina P Swafford, Dennis P Kwon, Rob J MacLennan, David H Fukuda, Jeffrey R Stout, Matt S Stock

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
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

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Alina P SwaffordSchool of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, HPA 1, Room 258, Orlando, FL, 32816-2205, USA.
Dennis P KwonSchool of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, HPA 1, Room 258, Orlando, FL, 32816-2205, USA.
Rob J MacLennanSchool of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, HPA 1, Room 258, Orlando, FL, 32816-2205, USA.
David H FukudaSchool of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, HPA 1, Room 258, Orlando, FL, 32816-2205, USA.
Jeffrey R StoutSchool of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, HPA 1, Room 258, Orlando, FL, 32816-2205, USA.
Matt S StockSchool of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, HPA 1, Room 258, Orlando, FL, 32816-2205, USA. matt.stock@ucf.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1156-1084
University of Central Florida · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeRecent evidence suggests that deception may not be necessary for placebos to improve clinical outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that placebo and open-label placebo (OLP) treatments would acutely improve strength and voluntary activation, as well as minimize neuromuscular fatigue, in untrained participants.

methodsTwenty-one males (n = 11) and females (n = 10) visited the laboratory on three occasions (placebo, OLP, control) to receive each treatment in a randomized, counter-balanced manner. Trials involved a pretest, a 15-min intervention, and posttests. For the placebo trial, participants were informed that they would be ingesting a capsule that would improve their performance and make them feel more energetic. For the OLP intervention, participants were told that the capsules would have no effects. In "Experiment #1", knee extensor maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) peak torque and percent voluntary activation were evaluated. In "Experiment #2", participants performed 20 consecutive MVCs while surface electromyographic signals were detected from the vastus lateralis. Subjective assessments of energy and perceived exertion were examined.

resultsThe interventions had no effect on strength or voluntary activation, but energy levels increased following treatments (p = 0.016, η

conclusionPlacebo and OLP treatments had minimal influence on strength, voluntary activation, and fatigue resistance. As these findings differ from recent reports, we speculate that placebos and OLPs are more likely to enhance muscle function in patient populations seeking medical care.

Indexed as

Muscle FatigueMuscle StrengthAdultFemaleHumansMaleMuscle ContractionPhysical Conditioning, HumanPlacebo EffectRandom AllocationSingle-Blind MethodEMGMuscle activationOpen-label placeboPlacebo

Identifiers

PMID31468171
OpenAlexW2971344802

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.