SynthesisDeutsches Arzteblatt international2023
Analgesic Use in Sports.
Synthesis in Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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
10 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Unlocking Performance: Pharmacogenomic Insights for Athletes.Sports medicine international open · 2026Review
- 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
- Painkiller use in amateur football: high prevalence, but limited misuse.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Next-Generation Approaches in Sports Medicine: The Role of Genetics, Omics, and Digital Health in Optimizing Athlete Performance and Longevity-A Narrative Review.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Anesthetic Considerations in Athletes: A Review.Cureus · 2025Review
- Investigating Painkiller Use in Amateur Football: A Coach's Perspective.Journal of personalized medicine · 2024Article
- Painkiller intake and problematic health literacy in sport and music students - A cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Menstrual Cramps as a Reason.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2023Article
- In Reply.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2023Article
- Use of pharmaceuticals amongst athletes tested by Anti-Doping Norway in a five-year period.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundConsumption of medication to alleviate pain is widespread in Germany. Around 1.9 million men and women take analgesics every day; some 1.6 million persons are addicted to painkillers. Analgesic use is thought also to be common in sports, even in the absence of pain. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of painkiller use among athletes.
methodsIn line with the PRISMA criteria and the modified PICO(S) criteria, a systematic literature review was registered (Openscienceframework, https://doi. org/10.17605/OSF.IO/VQ94D) and carried out in PubMed and SURF. The publications identified (25 survey studies, 12 analyses of doping control forms, 18 reviews) were evaluated in standardized manner using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) and AMSTAR (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews).
resultsAnalgesic use is widespread in elite sports. The prevalence varies between 2.8% (professional tennis) and 54.2% (professional soccer). Pain medication is also taken prophylactically in the absence of symptoms in some non-elite competitive sports. In the heterogeneous field of amateur sports the data are sparse and there is no reliable evidence of wide-reaching consumption of painkillers. Among endurance athletes, 2.1% of over 50 000 persons stated that they used analgesics at least once each month in connection with sports.
conclusionAnalgesic use has become a problem in many areas of professional/ competitive sports, while the consumption of pain medication apparently remains rare in amateur sports. In view of the increasing harmful use of or even addiction to painkillers in society as a whole, there is a need for better education and, above all, restrictions on advertising.
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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.