ArticlePloS one2019
"I put it in my head that the supplement would help me": Open-placebo improves exercise performance in female cyclists.
Article in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Caffeine Dose and Administration Method on Time-Trial Performance: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Placebo and Nocebo Effects on Sports and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Literature Review Update.Nutrients · 2024Pooled it
- How Cool is That? The Effects of Menthol Mouth Rinsing on Exercise Capacity and Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2024Pooled it
- Open-label placebos-a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies with non-clinical samples.Scientific reports · 2023Pooled it
- Open-label placebos enhance test performance and reduce anxiety in learner drivers: a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Open-label placebo treatment to improve relaxation training effects in healthy psychology students: a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2021Trial
- Placebos without deception reduce self-report and neural measures of emotional distress.Nature communications · 2020Trial
- Review
- No Detectable Effect of Caffeine Expectancy Induced by a Placebo Capsule on Time to Exhaustion at the Respiratory Compensation Point in Trained Cyclists.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A Narrative Review of the High-Carbohydrate Fueling Revolution (≥ 100 g/h) in the Professional Peloton.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Review
- Boosting open-label placebo effects in acute induced pain in healthy adults (BOLPAP-study): study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- The roles of expectation, comparator, administration route, and population in open-label placebo effects: a network meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Neural underpinnings of open-label placebo effects in emotional distress.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2023Article
- Effects of Open-Label Placebos on State Anxiety and Glucocorticoid Stress Responses.Brain sciences · 2021Article
- Open-Label Placebo Treatment for Acute Postoperative Pain (OLP-POP Study): Study Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Frontiers in medicine · 2021Article
- Brief Version of Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire in Brazil.Frontiers in nutrition · 2021Article
- Translation and Validation of the Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire in Brazil (CaffEQ-BR).Nutrients · 2020Article
- Is Open-Label Placebo a New Ergogenic Aid? A Commentary on Existing Studies and Guidelines for Future Research.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of open-placebo on cycling time-trial (TT) performance. Twenty-eight trained female cyclists completed a 1-km cycling TT following a control session or an open-placebo intervention. The intervention consisted of an individual presentation, provided by a medic, in which the concept of open-placebo was explained to the participant, before she ingested two red and white capsules containing flour; 15 min later, they performed the TT. In the control session, the participant sat quietly for 20 min. Heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were monitored throughout exercise, while blood lactate was determined pre- and post-exercise. Post-exercise questionnaires were employed to gain insight into the perceived influence of the supplement on performance. Open-placebo improved time-to-completion (P = 0.039, 103.6±5.0 vs. 104.4±5.1 s, -0.7±1.8 s, -0.7±1.7%) and mean power output (P = 0.01, 244.8±34.7 vs. 239.7±33.2, +5.1±9.5 W) during the TT. Individual data analysis showed that 11 individuals improved, 13 remained unchanged and 4 worsened their performance with open-placebo. Heart rate, RPE and blood lactate were not different between sessions (all P>0.05). Positive expectation did not appear necessary to induce performance improvements, suggesting unconscious processes occurred, although a lack of an improvement appeared to be associated with a lack of belief. Open-placebo improved 1-km cycling TT performance in trained female cyclists. Although the intervention was successful for some individuals, individual variation was high, and some athletes did not respond or even performed worse. Thus, open-placebo interventions should be carefully considered by coaches and practitioners, while further studies are warranted.
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Registered trials
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.