ArticleBMJ open sport & exercise medicine2019
Retrospective study of the use of medication and supplements during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.
Article in BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Analgesic Use in Sports.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2023Pooled it
- Integrating sports pharmacists into multidisciplinary healthcare teams: optimising athlete health and performance.British journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- One in three reports pain in a given week: a one-season prospective study on prevalence of pain and analgesic use in amateur female and male football players.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2026Article
- Investigating Painkiller Use in Amateur Football: A Coach's Perspective.Journal of personalized medicine · 2024Article
- Ranking sports science and medicine interventions impacting team performance: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies in elite football.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2024Article
- Use of pharmaceuticals amongst athletes tested by Anti-Doping Norway in a five-year period.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2023Article
- Dietary supplements and beverages: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among semi-professional soccer players in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.South African journal of sports medicine · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveExamine the intake of medication and supplements used by top-level players during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.
participants736 top-level players.
settingThe team doctors uploaded a list of the medications used by each player to the online reporting tool within 72 hours of each match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. OUTCOME MEASURES: Average number of medications used per player per match and during the tournament; average number and percentage of players using at least one medication per match and during the tournament.
results54% of the players took at least one medication during the tournament and 39% took at least one medication before each match. The most used medications were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) (38.6%), followed by other analgesics (13.8%) and medications for insomnia and anxiety (13%). On average, 0.72 medications were taken per player per match and 1.32 per player during the tournament. The mean number of medication intake per player per match was higher during the knockout stage compared with the group stage (0.88±1.36 vs 0.65±1.08, p<0.001). Players from South America and North and Central America took more medications per match compared with the players from Africa (0.9±1.14 and 0.98±1.1 vs 0.48±0.83, p<0.001 in both cases).
conclusionThe intake of NSAIDs decreased during the 2018 FIFA World Cup compared with previous FIFA World Cups, but stayed at a high level. The high number of medications taken is a cause for concern, and therefore, players, medical staff and coaches should be made more aware of the possible side effects of a high medication intake.
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