Auditing the Representation of Female Versus Male Athletes in Sports Science and Sports Medicine Research: Evidence-Based Performance Supplements.

ABSTRACT: Although sports nutrition guidelines promote evidence-based practice, it is unclear whether women have been adequately included in the underpinning research. In view of the high usage rates of performance supplements by female athletes, we conducted a standardised audit of the literature supporting evidence-based products: β-alanine, caffeine, creatine, glycerol, nitrate/beetroot juice and sodium bicarbonate. Within 1826 studies totalling 34,889 participants, just 23% of participants were women, although 34% of studies included at least one woman. Across different supplements, 0-8% of studies investigated women exclusively, while fewer (0-2%) were specifically designed to compare sex-based responses. The annual publication of female-specific studies was ~8 times fewer than those investigat

SUBMITTER: Smith ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8912470 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature