SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2026
The Impact of Exercise on Intervertebral Disc Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- The Impact of Modern Lifestyles on Spinal Health in the Pediatric Population: A Narrative Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe structure and function of human tissue, such as bone, muscle and tendon, can be improved with targeted exercise training. However, the effects of exercise training on intervertebral disc tissue remain unclear.
objectiveWe aimed to examine the impact of physical loading exposure (exercise training, sport and physical activity) on intervertebral disc (IVD) health compared to non-physical loading (or lower volume of the same physical loading) controls.
methodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Seven electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Web of Science and Scopus) and two trial registries (World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and National Institutes of Health) were searched from inception to 3 June, 2025. Forward and backward citation tracking was conducted for included reports. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria (GRADE). Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane RoB2 and Johanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. We included randomised controlled trials (n = 2), cohort (n = 9) and cross-sectional studies (n = 28) of any physical loading compared to controls with continuous measurements of IVD health (e.g. T2-relaxation, IVD height) via magnetic resonance imaging and/or categorically graded measures of IVD degeneration (e.g. Pfirrmann grade).
resultsForty-five reports of 39 studies (participants: 4152) were included. The pairwise random-effects meta-analysis estimated the standardised mean difference (Hedges' g) of continuous outcomes for combined physical loading and independent subgroups and odds ratios (Paule-Mandel estimator) of categorical outcomes for combined physical loading only. A meta-analysis revealed upright bipedal loading (mostly running; Hedges' g [95% confidence interval] 0.31 [0.12, 0.50]; P = 0.002; n = 7, GRADE: very low) was associated with better IVD health; however, no other subgroup of physical loading was associated with better or worse IVD health. Combined physical loading revealed greater odds of IVD degeneration via reduced signal intensity (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 2.80 [1.53, 5.11], P = 0.001; n = 5, GRADE: low); however, no other measure of IVD degeneration was significant.
conclusionsRunning was the only physical loading exposure associated with better IVD health. The mixed results from the combined physical loading analyses suggest that the type of physical loading plays a role in IVD health. As our estimates rely on observational data, prospective running interventions that examine the causal effect on IVD health appear warranted. CLINICAL
trial registrationThe review was prospectively registered with International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) [CRD42022366391]. See Supplement P of the Electronic Supplementary Material for protocol deviations since registration.
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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.