ArticlePeerJ2020
A case against default effect sizes in sport and exercise science.
Article in PeerJ, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Comparison of Muscle Growth and Dynamic Strength Adaptations Induced by Unilateral and Bilateral Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Impact of resistance training intensity on body composition and nutritional intake among college women with overweight and obesity: a cluster randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in public health · 2025Trial
- Effect Size Calculation Procedures in Exercise Intervention Meta-Analyses: A Scoping Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Review
- Mental Toughness and 2K Rowing Performance in Division II Female Collegiate Athletes: A Longitudinal Analysis Using Mixed-Effects Modeling.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Effects of Repeated Contrast Therapy on Forearm Microcirculatory and Neuromechanical Recovery After Climbing-Specific Fatigue in Amateur Climbers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Optimal timing to assess exercise-induced oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Experimental physiology · 2025Review
- Reflections on Conducting a Large Replication Project in Sports and Exercise Science.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Review
- Editorial: A Step-by-step Statistical Decision Framework for a Gender-inclusive Approach in Sport and Exercise Science Research.International journal of exercise science · 2025Article
- The Effects of Augmented Feedback, Focus of Attention, and Monetary Reward on Vertical Jump Height: A Replication Study.International journal of exercise science · 2025Article
- Examination of Sex-Related Differences in Fatigability and Frequency Components of Mechanomyographic Signals During Sustained Exercise.Muscles (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- A framework for test measurement selection in athlete physical preparation.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2024Review
- With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Common Errors in Meta-Analyses and Meta-Regressions in Strength & Conditioning Research.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2023Review
- Durability is improved by both low and high intensity endurance training.Frontiers in physiology · 2023Article
- Ten guidelines for designing motor learning studies.Brazilian journal of motor behavior · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Recent discussions in the sport and exercise science community have focused on the appropriate use and reporting of effect sizes. Sport and exercise scientists often analyze repeated-measures data, from which mean differences are reported. To aid the interpretation of these data, standardized mean differences (SMD) are commonly reported as a description of effect size. In this manuscript, we hope to alleviate some confusion. First, we provide a philosophical framework for conceptualizing SMDs; that is, by dichotomizing them into two groups: magnitude-based and signal-to-noise SMDs. Second, we describe the statistical properties of SMDs and their implications. Finally, we provide high-level recommendations for how sport and exercise scientists can thoughtfully report raw effect sizes, SMDs, or other effect sizes for their own studies. This conceptual framework provides sport and exercise scientists with the background necessary to make and justify their choice of an SMD.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.