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LOS ANGELES--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Sports Research , a leader in fitness, nutrition and wellness for nearly 44 years, is proud to announce the debut of its heartening hero campaign, “ The Sport of Life ,” expanding its rebranding initiative that kicked off earlier this year. The campaign marks a new direction and brings a fresh storytelling approach to the brand’s visual identity to highlight the company’s exceptional growth and continually expanding product line, instilling an invigorating spirit in both Sports Research and the broader health and wellness community.

The brand campaign, facilitated by the renowned global creative and media agency VaynerMedia LA, aims to innovate in the wellness space, moving beyond product-focused narratives to a more personal and insightful brand campaign focused on empowering consumers to take control of their overall health and fitness journey. This shift underlines the brand's commitment to creating connections and broadening its appeal beyond the hardcore fitness and athletic communities by inviting people to see themselves in the brand and the community it fosters. From physical activities like dance, yoga, pilates, skateboarding and surfing to pursuing life goals and connecting with others, Sports Research seeks to redefine SPORT by showing it in everything we do, focusing on a balanced and active lifestyle that celebrates moments of connection, healing, and recovery.

“The Sport of Life" campaign beautifully captures the full spectrum of life's journey, not only highlighting the challenges of failure and the resilience required in falling and rising again, but also emphasizing the vital importance of finding joy, celebrating victories, and discovering meaning in every experience. This balanced narrative encompasses the relentless pursuit of goals across all life aspects, from professional ambitions to personal endeavors. “The Sport of Life” campaign, in celebrating the multifaceted journey of life, mirrors the very essence of Sports Research's own inception and evolution – a journey that started with Sweet Sweat , a unique gel that accelerates, elevates and lengthens the sweating process for a more intense and motivating workout. Over the past 44 years, Sports Research has unfolded into a brand synonymous with the holistic pursuit of wellness, resilience, and personal achievement.

Born out of the founder’s own unique journey as a three-time USC national champion athlete and athletic club owner, Sweet Sweat emerged as a beacon of fitness enhancement and motivation. Initially embraced by LA’s elite, it swiftly became a well-guarded secret among celebrities and professional athletes, treasured for the competitive edge it provided. Beyond the exclusive circles of the affluent, it also resonated with shoppers at suburban malls to more niche communities like Koreatown, illustrating its wide-reaching appeal and eventually captivating audiences with its demonstrations around the world. Recognizing a gap in both the national and international markets for safe, rigorously tested, and trustworthy wellness supplements that incorporate cutting-edge and innovative technology, the Pedersen family embarked on a mission to fill this void.

CEO and Chairman of Sports Research, Jeff Pedersen, reflects on the company’s journey over the past four and counting decades: “From the inception of Sports Research in 1980 as a family-run business, we’ve always believed in the transformative power of health and wellness. This rebrand and our new campaign are extensions of that belief. ‘The Sport of Life’ isn't just about physical fitness, it's about embracing a lifestyle that balances health, passion, and wellbeing. As someone whose path shifted from aspiring athlete to a fitness educator and product inventor, I know firsthand the importance of adaptability, perseverance, and wellness in life's journey and its impact on ensuring you can spend quality time with loved ones, engaging in activities that matter most and creating lasting memories.”

This venture, driven by a commitment to holistic well-being, has grown under the leadership of the CEO, who, alongside his family and ever-growing number of employees, has navigated the company through various challenges and triumphs and become synonymous with not only reliability but also with pioneering advancements in the wellness and sports nutrition industry.

Within the campaign, Sports Research proudly unveils not only the inspirational essence of "The Sport of Life" but also its refreshed branding and packaging. Through a modern and approachable lens, the brand highlights the company’s best-selling products, such as the World’s First Organic Collagen Peptides™ , Sweet Sweat Workout Enhancer , Omega-3 Fish Oil , Whey Protein Isolate Chocolate , and the Sweet Sweat Waist Trimmer .

These popular products represent just a glimpse of the hundreds of premium products offered by Sports Research, a testament to the company’s 44-year journey of innovation and excellence in sports nutrition and wellness. The new packaging now best represents what's always been inside: The highest quality ingredients, in an elevated design that's for everyone, meticulously designed to reflect the evolved brand identity, capturing the spirit of resilience, balance, and health for which Sports Research stands. Through this campaign, the company not only celebrates the diversity and efficacy of their product line but also marks a new era in its visual and brand storytelling.

“My dad's built a huge legacy that I'm so proud to be a part of. We have to evolve to keep that alive. Our rebranding is not just a change of visuals. It’s an affirmation of our founding values and our commitment to empowering purpose,” said Mike Pedersen, Sports Research COO and head of the rebrand vision. “We go to extraordinary lengths to source premium nutraceutical ingredients and maintain transparency and quality, recognizing that in the “The Sport of Life,” every choice and action matters. At the core, we understand that each of us is an active player in life and every decision we make, especially regarding our health, has profound importance.”

Sports Research is committed to innovation driven by science and the desire to provide the highest quality nutraceuticals available. With this new chapter, the brand reaffirms its dedication to helping people perform their best, echoing the founder's roots and focusing on a value system and lifestyle that elevates all individuals to their highest potential.

About Sports Research

Since 1980, Sports Research has been a family-owned and operated company founded on a passion for fitness, wellness, and healing. The company’s flagship product, Sweet Sweat, quickly gained popularity and paved the way for a wide range of proven, research-backed health and fitness products designed for everybody — inside and out. Sports Research is committed to using only the highest quality ingredients and materials sourced from around the world, many of which have been the center of scientific studies—just as the name implies. The Sports Research team of experts is dedicated to helping people live their best lives by providing innovative and effective health and fitness solutions.

To learn more about the company's commitment to quality and its robust product line, visit sportsresearch.com and sweetsweat.com .

Allison Ullo Trust Relations [email protected] 610-905-1817

Sports Research Review – Is This Supplement Brand Legit?

By Jack Cincotta, MS

Reviewed by Juliana Tamayo, MS, RDN - Last Updated January 1, 2024

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You really can’t separate overall health and wellness from sports nutrition and athletic performance. After all, these areas all affect each other and influence the way you look, feel, and perform.

And today, there are a wide variety of supplement companies that aim to address all of these factors so you can be at your best, whether you’re a competitive athlete or just someone looking to have an active lifestyle.

One of the most well-known brands out there that falls into this category is Sports Research Corporation. In this article, we’ll be reviewing the Sports Research company as a whole to see what they all offer and if they’re worth buying from.

Keep reading this Sports Research review to see our analysis of their products, formulas, testing practices, trustworthiness, credibility, and more!

About Sports Research

Sports Research is a family-owned supplement company out of San Pedro, California. They provide a variety of wellness essentials for athletes and anyone interested in living a healthy, active life.

Founded in 1980, Sports Research is one of the most established and long-lasting supplement brands, with over 40 years of experience and innovation in the industry. 

Their ultimate motivation is to help you reach whatever goals you have in, as they put it, “the sport of life.”

Sports Research focuses on delivering research-backed, credible supplements with fully transparent labels, so you know exactly what you’re getting. Not to mention they place a high importance on customer satisfaction, with personalized customer support options to make sure you get all your questions answered.

Types of Supplements Offered

Sports Research Corporation offers a variety of supplements for athletic performance, sports nutrition, and overall health, with over 60 products in total.

Some of the types of categories they offer are:

• Performance Supplements
• Muscle Builders
• Antioxidants
• Digestive Products
• Herbal Supplements

On their page, they also have a nice feature where you can search by product type, health needs, price, and product formulation. So it seems to help narrow down what you’re looking for pretty quickly.

Some of their best-sellers are:

• Collagen Peptides
• Multi Collagen Capsules
• Black Cumin Seed Oil
• Daily Probiotics
• Omega-3 Fish Oil

Sports Research Formulas

The vast majority of Sports Research supplements are well-formulated due to ingredient quality, proper dosages, and label transparency.

There are several products that highlight their dedication to quality. 

For example, their Turmeric/Curcumin supplement contains 95% curcuminoids in the form of Curcumin C3 Complex, as well as BioPerine black pepper for better bioavailability. 

Another example is their omega-3 products. Their fish oils are made from wild-caught Alaskan fish and contain high amounts of EPA and DHA. And their vegan omega-3 product is made from algal oil which is a great source.

Sports Research also includes a variety of well-researched, trademarked forms for their ingredients, such as AlphaWave theanine, CherryPURE tart cherry, PurCaf caffeine, and ThymoQuin black seed oil. 

Sports Research Corp also has good forms for their vitamins, such as vitamin D3, high-potency vitamin C, and MK-07 form of vitamin K2. These are all well-absorbed and have greater bioavailability compared to poorer-quality supplement forms.

Furthermore, most of their products are in liquid softgel form, which has some advantages over traditional hard capsules, such as:

• Nutrient Protection
• Free from fillers
• Easier to swallow

Another positive is that the dosages for most of their supplements are evidence-based. 

Here are some examples that highlight their use of research-backed dosages:

• Collagen Peptides: 11g
• 1,040mg of omega-3 fatty acids
• Turmeric Curcumin: 500mg of turmeric extract
• CoQ10: 100mg
• 200mg theanine
• 100mg caffeine
• Organic MCT Oil: 14g of MCT all from coconut oil

Transparency

Sports Research supplements all have fully transparent labels, so you can see the exact dosage for every ingredient. This is very important because you’re able to see if it’s a safe and effective dose.

The last thing regarding their formulations is overall safety. And they definitely hit the mark here too. Their products are all made in cGMP, FDA-registered facilities, and are third-party tested. Their products are non-GMO, and some are organic and vegan, but not all. 

Generally speaking, the ingredients are all safe for most people to consume too in recommended dosages. So they don’t feature any “out there” ingredients or anything that hasn’t had a proven track record in both traditional usage and in modern research.

Sports Research Product Testing

All of Sports Reserach’s products are third-party tested for safety, purity, and potency. They have a “ Track Your Lot ” page where you can click on the supplement you ordered and enter the lot number to see the exact Certificate of Analysis (CoA), which provides a detailed description related to product quality, safety, and purity.

They only have one product rated on Labdoor (which is a company that partners with FDA-registered laboratories to ensure product quality and safety). This product is Sports Research Biotin, which has a 94 out of 100 rating. Now, while it’s only one supplement, it provides evidence that Sports Research generally produces quality products.

Certifications

Sports Research Corp has quite a few certifications that add to the credibility of their supplements.

Every product is made in a cGMP, FDA-registered facility. This ensures that the products meet appropriate manufacturing standards for quality and safety.

Several (but not all) of their products are Non-GMO Project Verified. At the very least, all products are IGEN Non-GMO Tested, so it’s safe to say none of their products have GMOs.

Also, a few of their products are certified USDA Organic, such as Organic Collagen Peptides, Organic Elderberry, and Organic MCT Oil.

Beyond that, several Sports Research supplements are Informed Sport Certified, such as Whey Protein Isolate, Glutamine, and Creatine Monohydrate. This certification is top of the line for ensuring that products are safe for competitive athletes to take and don’t have any banned compounds. 

Lastly, Sports Research offers over 20 Certified Vegan products, including Berberine, Vegan Omega-3, Biotin, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. 

Sports Research Value

Sports Research overall has a good value. In fact, their prices are very reasonable, especially considering the time they put in to create well-tested, quality products. 

Here are some prices from top-selling products to give you an idea of their pricing decisions:

• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies: $14.95 for 60 servings
• Daily Probiotics: $24.95 for 30 servings
• Whey Protein Isolate: $68.95 for 55 servings
• Omega-3 Fish Oil: $26.95 for 90 servings
• Turmeric Curcumin: $19.95 for 60 servings
• Collagen Peptides: $32.95 for 41 servings

Generally, you won’t find a product more than a dollar per serving, with most products falling considerably below that mark.

Reputation & Customer Feedback

Sports Research Corporation has a great reputation. They’ve been in the supplement industry for 40 years, so you don’t stay in business that long without doing things right.

Also, Sports Research Corp is Better Business Bureau (BBB) Accredited, with an A+ rating on the BBB website . 

Most of Sports Research’s products are rated very high too, with a very impressive amount of reviews.

For example, on the Sports Research page on Amazon , here is how some of their products are rated:

• Omega-3 Fish Oil: 4.7 out of 5 (over 38,000 reviews)
• Collagen Peptides: 4.6 out of 5 (over 125,000 reviews)
• Tart Cherry: 4.4 out of 5 (over 12,000 reviews)
• Organic MCT Oil: 4.6 out of 5 (over 38,000 reviews)
• D3+K2: 4.7 out of 5 (over 39,000 reviews)

Here are some reviews from Sports Research customers:

“I trust this company, I like the way they are public about the farmers and areas they do business with. I feel like I am getting the same good results as the more expensive brands.” 

“I had written a poor review because I had an allergic reaction to one of their products. Amazon customer service said no refunds; however, the company reached out to me to assist. That is great customer service!! The item is not for me, but the company puts their customers first”. 

“High quality ingredients and company. Sports Research is helping keep me healthy.”

“Great company to work with! I’ve ordered several products from this company and have had no issues at all. The products are well made and I trust them to do the job they are designed to do.”

“There are a lot of companies out there that make a lot of claims. As of today, I am still confident with the results of SR (Sports Research – plant based supplements). High potency vitamin D3 & K2 (MK-7) and very good value for your money. Give them a try.”

“I love that they do 3rd party testing and stand behind their products. I like the size and the quality of this supplement and the company has some integrity.”

Where to Buy Sports Research Supplements

You can buy Sports Research supplements from the Sports Research main website or from the Sports Research page on Amazon . 

From scanning the web, we also saw that Sports Research supplements are available online or in-store at Walmart, GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe, Target, iHerb.com, and others. Ultimately, there are many opportunities for you to purchase Sports Research products.

Comparisons

Sports Research is a diverse brand that focuses on athletic performance and overall health, which reminds us a lot of a company called Thorne, as well as Bulk Supplements.

Compared to Sports Research, Thorne supplements are a bit more expensive. But they are also all NSF Certified for Sport. And Thorne offers many more supplements (nearly 200) compared to Sports Research. 

You certainly can’t go wrong with either company. It just depends on your exact goals, needs, and preferences. And the fact that Sports Nutrition has fewer supplements so you may not be able to find the one you’re looking for, whereas Thorne has a greater variety to choose from.

Bulk Supplements

Bulk Supplements offers more total products than Sports Research. They offer a wider variety of container/package sizes, with much bigger sizes available than Sports Research. 

With that said, Sports Research has far more products with trademarked forms for their ingredients. You might pay a little more than when at Bulk Supplements, but the difference isn’t that much.

Here also, we really can’t say one is better than the other in all cases; it depends on your exact situation.

Verdict: Sports Research Review

Sports Research is a great supplement company that values total health and wellness as much as it does sports performance and athletics.

All of their products are third-party tested, non-GMO, and made with quality, research-backed ingredients at effective dosages. This company takes the time to select beneficial ingredients and creates formulas that are easy to digest and highly bioavailable.

Even with all of those benefits, Sports Research products still fall within a reasonable price range, making it a great combination of quality and value. 

Considering all this, it doesn’t shock us that Sports Nutrition has been around for over 40 years and counting. And if you’re looking for top sports nutrition and wellness supplements, Sports Research is a great place to check out. 

• Reputation: 4.5
• Formulas: 4.4
• Testing/Quality: 4.8

Jack Cincotta, MS

Jack Cincotta is a certified holistic health coach through AFPA and a board-certified holistic health practitioner through AADP. He has written hundreds of articles on nutrition and supplementation. Jack has a M.S. degree in Psychology and is passionate about researching the science behind nutrition. He often uses research-backed supplementation protocols for many of his clients to optimize results.

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Table of Contents

About Sports Research

Sports Research is a health and fitness brand that provides people with loads of different products ranging from supplements to performance products to waist trimmers. They offer people a variety of methods to improve their health and change their bodies to meet their goals. 

A decades-old business, Sports Research is not new to online platforms, especially on social media. They have over 112K followers on Instagram and over 15.4K followers on Facebook, making it clear that they know what they’re doing and have many fans who follow them for their wonderful products. 

This Sports Research review will take a detailed look into everything you might want to know about the product, brand, customer ratings, promotions, and more, to help you decide if they are the next brand you want to buy from.

Overview of Sports Research

Sports Research is a health and wellness company that focuses on fitness for everyone. With a range of products that include benefits for your body, skin, and more, this brand works to improve your overall health and keep you fit while you stay active .

Sports Research started when the CEO, Jeff Pedersen, was a college athlete interested in creating products that helped others like him. His first product was Sweet Sweat in 1980, and ever since then, the company has been booming with a variety of different products to help athletes as well as people in fitness.

As a family-owned business located in San Pedro, a city in South California, Sports Research focuses on making non-GMO products, as well as cGMP, meaning the products are manufactured using good practices. 

Sports Research’s mission is simple, as they are “dedicated to providing the highest quality health & wellness products that complement your healthy lifestyle.”  

Their products and brand values include quality, trust, and innovation, and with that goal of healthy living in mind, let’s look over some of the many highlights within this Sports Research review.

• Natural ingredients
• A variety of distributors, including Amazon, Walmart, and iHerb
• Some vegan products
• Some gluten-free products
• cGMP approved
• 90-day money-back guarantee
• Positive customer reviews

Within this Sports Research review, I’ll give you all the information you may want to know about a few different products, and who knows, you may find your next supplement within the next couple of paragraphs!

Sports Research Collagen Peptides Review

If you think about your face from ten years ago compared to now, you’ll probably see slight differences in your skin and hair. And although you can’t see your bones, you might feel a difference in your bone density, too. Well, all of this is controlled by a finicky protein called collagen . 

Collagen works to keep your cells tightly packed together, making them strong and elastic. We lose collagen as we age, which is why younger skin is taut, while aged skin tends to get a bit looser.

Healthy aging is a beautiful thing, and you should all be so lucky to live long enough to see your faces covered in wrinkles, each of which represents the years of experience and life you lived. But it definitely doesn’t hurt to look ten years younger than you really are!

Ingesting collagen supplements like Sports Research Collagen Peptides helps to increase collagen levels in your body to help repair your cells and make them look stronger than they are now. 

Am I saying that you’ll go back to looking sweet 16? No. Am I saying that you’ll definitely notice a change in various parts of your body, inside and out? Yes, yes, and yes!

Each Sports Research Collagen Peptides supplement bottle comes in multiple sizes and flavors. The unflavored product costs $30 for 16 ounces and $55 for 32 ounces. The other flavors of dark chocolate, vanilla, and matcha green tea all come in the smaller size for $32 each.

If you choose to buy from one of the partner companies that also sell this supplement, you will find them at the following prices for the unflavored supplement in the smaller container:

• Amazon: $36
• Walmart: $20

Ingredients Label

The serving size for each Sports Research Collagen Peptides is 1 scoop, with 41 servings per container. There are 40 calories per serving with 10 grams of protein, 60 grams of sodium, and 11 grams of Bovine Collagen Peptide, the supplement’s main ingredient. 

Bovine Collagen Peptide is a collagen protein from bovine animals, specifically cows. Although your body naturally produces collagen, using this ingredient in supplements lets you get the many benefits associated with the protein.

Other ingredients within the supplement may vary based on the flavor. Within the unflavored supplement, the only other ingredient is SR collagen. If you chose another flavor, you might also notice the following ingredients:

• Dark chocolate: cocoa powder, natural flavor, sea salt, stevia leaf extract, monk fruit
• Vanilla: cocoa powder, natural flavor, sea salt, stevia leaf extract, monk fruit
• Matcha Green Tea: organic green tea (matcha) powder

Nutritional Value

Within Sports Research Collagen Peptides , collagen [1] has a high nutritional value. This protein contains many physiological and developmental functions, which work to heal your body both inside and out.

Three-quarters of your skin and a third of the protein in your body are composed of collagen, so it’s clearly essential. Collagen works to heal and strengthen on a cellular level, making you look and feel much healthier and stronger.

Benefits 

When you consume the Sports Research Collagen Peptides , the main ingredient of Bovine Collagen Peptide works to provide you with overall health and wellbeing throughout your body. The many benefits of this ingredient include the following:

• Improved symptoms of Osteoarthritis [2] : Bovine collagen can help with bone formation and improve symptoms of people suffering from Osteoarthritis [3] , a condition [4] where you feel pain and stiffness in different joints throughout your body.
• Decreased aging [5] : Collagen has helped and improved symptoms of aging by helping your skin.
• Improved hair [6] : Collagen is an important part of your hair structure, and increased collagen can aid in making your hair much thicker.

How Does It Work

Collagen works by going into your skin and other parts of your body, where it works to repair your current cells and replace the old dead cells with new ones. This process can help provide you with better-looking skin, nails, hair, and much more.

How to Take & Dosage 

To have the Sports Research Collagen Peptides , you should take one scoop of the powdery supplement and mix it with your favorite hot or cool drink. The supplement may get clumpy if the drink is too cold, so make sure you mix it at room temperature first and then add ice later.

You should take this supplement once a day, and you’ll see maximum benefits if you take it daily.

Sports Research Biotin Review

Hair loss is something that everyone experiences, whether it’s just a few hairs or hundreds of strands. And that’s where vitamins like biotin come into the picture.

Aiding you with various symptoms that have to do with your hair, skin, and nails, this Sports Research review found this supplement can help you with many different improvements on the outside of your body.

This Sports Research review will look over the pricing details on this product and help you decide how important this supplement can be for your daily regime. 

The Sports Research Biotin supplement bottle comes in multiple sizes with different micrograms of biotin within the capsules. The brand offers the following prices for the different sizes and amounts:

• 120 softgels with 2,500mcg per capsule: $16
• 120 softgels with 5,000mcg per capsule: $17
• 120 softgels with 10,000mcg per capsule: $23

If you choose to buy from one of the partner companies that also sell this supplement, you will find them at the following prices for 120 capsules with 10,000mcg within the supplement:

• Amazon: $20
• Walmart: $22

The serving size for each Sports Research Biotin is 1 liquid softgel, with 120 servings per container. 

Biotin [7] , or vitamin B7, is found in a variety of foods like eggs, milk, and bananas, and they’re very commonly known to help with healthy hair, nails, and skin. 

Other ingredients within this supplement include organic virgin coconut oil, non-GMO rice bran wax, veggie softgel capsule made of tapioca starch, vegetable glycerin, and purified water. This supplement also contains tree nuts which is a common allergen.

Sports Research Biotin is a certified vegan and gluten-free product , so you’re safe to take the supplement if you have these dietary restrictions!

The main ingredient of biotin within Sports Research Biotin has many roles, but its main function is breaking down fats and carbohydrates within your body, giving you the energy that you need to function. This can result in multiple benefits that have to do with your hair, nails, and more.

The most notable benefits within your body that you’ll see from taking the Sports Research Biotin include improved hair, skin, and nails [8] . This is especially useful for those currently suffering from brittle nail syndrome or uncombable hair.

Biotin [9] works primarily by converting the carbohydrates in your body into glucose, providing energy and helping with bodily functions. This helps to provide multiple benefits throughout the body. 

You should take 1 veggie liquid softgel once a day with your food. You will see the best results if you take the supplement every day until the bottle is complete. 

Sports Research Organic MCT Oil Review

You use energy throughout each day of your life, and sometimes it can just be draining. With work, school, and life in general, sometimes it can be helpful to get a bit of an energy boost that you’re missing from your natural body’s production. 

The benefit of using Sports Research Organic MCT Oil is that it can give you that extra push that your body needs to help you give you that extra pep in your step, and help boost your energy in the healthiest way possible. 

The Sports Research Organic MCT Oil supplement bottle comes in multiple sizes, and the brand website offers the following retail prices for the different bottles:

• 16 ounces: $20
• 32 ounces: $30
• 128 ounces: $99

This product is also sold on a few partner websites, and you can find them there for the following prices at the size of 32 ounces:

• Amazon: $30
• Walmart: $28

The serving size for each Sports Research MCT Oil is 1 tablespoon. There are 130 calories per serving with 14 grams of total fat. The product contains 13.8 grams of MCT (medium-chain triglycerides), which is the main ingredient of the supplement, and this ingredient is derived naturally from coconut oil.

Medium-chain triglycerides, or MCT , are acids found within your body that help metabolize your food. 

This product is 100% vegan, so you don’t have to worry about it if you have any dietary restrictions that prohibit you from eating animal products!

The main ingredient in this supplement is medium-chain triglycerides, or MCT, which help your body make something called ketones. Ketones help to provide you with energy that doesn’t come from carbohydrates.

This can sometimes give you an energy boost that you wouldn’t necessarily get from the regular way that your body metabolizes carbs. 

There are many benefits associated with the use of MCT oil, including the following:

• Weight loss [10]  
• Improved symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease [11]  
• Reduced seizures [12]  

The ingredient of MCT in Sports Research Organic MCT Oil works by creating ketones which provide your body and brain with a new, healthier energy source than what they usually get from carbohydrates.

Ketones are able to access your brain, which other energy sources usually can’t, which helps produce higher and more healthy energy levels throughout your whole body.

To have the Sports Research Organic MCT Oil , you should add one tablespoon of the oil into any liquid of your choice. This can include a beverage, smoothie, or shake. You will notice greater benefits if you take the supplement daily.

Who Is Sports Research For? 

Sports Research includes many supplemental products that are garnered only for adult use. 

The main reason is that these products contain ingredients in doses that aren’t suitable for children.

Sports Research Collagen Peptides can be useful to those who have noticed reduced collagen levels within their body.

Sports Research Biotin is a good idea for those experiencing trouble with hair loss or skin rashes.

Sports Research Organic MCT Oil can be great for people interested in getting an energy boost and those who are in the process of weight loss.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication for any serious illnesses, or have a weakened immune system, you shouldn’t take any Sports Research supplements unless you have them run by your healthcare professional. 

Sports Research Side Effects

This Sports Research review finds that the side effects of each different product may vary due to the difference in ingredients within each supplement. 

There are very minimal side effects of Sports Research Collagen Peptides . Still, if you feel sick, you’ll most likely experience mild digestive problems, such as heartburn, feeling overly full, and bloating.

For the most part, there are no noted side effects of Sports Research Biotin , as the main ingredient of biotin is water-soluble, and any extra amount you take will get flushed out through your urine.

However, it is still essential to take the recommended dose and stop its use immediately if you notice a skin rash, which could indicate a biotin overdose .

The side effects of Sports Research Organic MCT Oil are mostly related to your digestion. You can experience diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, bloating, gas, and more.

However, you can avoid these issues if you take the supplement with food, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.

Sports Research Reviews: What Do Customers Think?

This Sports Research review found that the response to the brand’s products has been so positive that it’s almost overwhelming!

Since there are a few different Sports Research products, and they’re sold on a multitude of websites, there are a few different ratings to check out: 

• Sports Research: 4.8/5 star rating by 83 reviewers 
• Amazon: 4.6/5 star rating by 101,895 reviewers 
• Walmart: 4.7/5 star rating by 240 reviewers 
• iHerb: 4.8/5 star rating by 17,862 reviewers

When it comes to the Sports Research Collagen Peptides , reviewers awarded the product 4.6/5 stars : “ I started noticing the effects almost immediately! My skin is no longer as dry. My hair doesn’t feel so brittle and easily breakable anymore, the edges which I had lost is growing back. 

My bones, I can tell, is stronger because I don’t wake up with as much ache as I used to. It is also easy on the stomach.”

Moving on, the reception of Sports Research Biotin was just as positive, with the following ratings: 

• Sports Research: 4.9/5 star rating by 33 reviewers 
• Amazon: 4.6/5 star rating by 84,548 reviewers 
• Walmart: 4.9/5 star rating by 36 reviewers 
• iHerb: 4.7/5 star rating by 3,655 reviewers

A satisfied customer on Amazon posted about how they’ve bought from Sports Research more than once: “ I have been a repeat customer of Sports Research several times and their products have never let me down. Great quality and packaging.”

The final product from this review, the Sports Research Organic MCT Oil , displayed a few ratings from multiple websites:

• Sports Research: 4.8/5 star rating by 14 reviewers 
• Amazon: 4.7/5 star rating by 28,284 reviewers 
• Walmart: 4.9/5 star rating by 18 reviewers 
• iHerb: 4.7/5 star rating by 800 reviewers

One happy customer left the following review: “I’ve shopped around MCT oil and this is by far the best price for this brand. I like the quality of this versus others. It’s smooth and blends well into my coffee. Highly recommend!!!”

All in all, this Sports Research review can say with confidence that it looks like the brand knows what they’re doing. Positive customer experiences tell all.  

Is Sports Research Worth It?

I found this company to be a strong competitor in the industries of fitness, health, and wellness. Each product from the brand is minimalistic and straightforward, but the ingredients used are highly effective and well-researched . 

Whether it’s collagen, biotin, or MCT oil, the benefits of each product have been thoroughly researched, and they’re clearly listed on the website for everyone to see.

The consumers of Sports Research supplements seemed to experience a range of positive effects after trying the products. As a bonus, Sports Research sells vegan and gluten-free options too. 

Worst-case scenario, if you get a supplement and it’s not for you, no stress! With the brand’s 90-day money-back guarantee , you have three months to try out the products and return them if you don’t like them. I think it’s worth a try . 

Is Sports Research Legit?

Yes, Sports Research is definitely legit! With products ranging from supplements to trimmers, Sports Research can basically provide you with anything related to fitness that you’re looking for.

So the big worry about this brand isn’t about whether it’s legit or not, but rather about how you’re going to be able to tear yourself away from the products once you see what they have to offer.

Sports Research Promotions & Discounts 

For a brand that offers so many different products that work so well, the prices are quite reasonable! You can get multiple months worth of supplements for prices in the double digits.

On top of that, this Sports Research review found that they offer free shipping to anyone who buys products over $75 on their brand website.

So this way, you can add a few different things to your cart and skip the shipping costs with no worries!

Where to Buy Sports Research

Sports Research products can be bought from their brand website at https://sportsresearch.com/ , but they can also be found at a variety of different online and retail stores, including the following:

Is Sports Research vegan?  

Some products made by Sports Research are vegan, such as the Sports Research Biotin and Sports Research MCT Oil, which you could take if you have that dietary restriction. However, you should check the labels before you take the supplements to be sure.

Is Sports Research gluten-free? 

Some products made by Sports Research are gluten-free, such as the Sports Research Biotin, which you could take if you have that dietary restriction. However, you should make sure to check the labels before you take the supplements to be sure.

What is Sports Research’s Shipping Policy?

Sports Research offers free shipping for all domestic US orders if your purchase is above $75 , and for orders below $75 , there is a flat shipping rate of $8 . All orders take 2 business days to process and 10 business days to deliver your order.  Currently, there is no international shipping available.

Return policies on other retail or online sites may vary.

What is Sports Research’s Return Policy?

Sports Research offers a 90-day refund on all products! If you’re unhappy with your purchase, you just need to input your order number and email address on the website and select the item you wish to send back. Returns won’t cover shipping costs, but hey, that’s still a great deal!

How to Contact Sports Research

If you have any further questions or inquiries about Sports Research that I didn’t explore within this review, you can contact the company Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM (PT).

You can also find more information on the brand’s contact page: https://sportsresearch.com/pages/contact-us

Still looking for an extra workout boost? We’ve got you covered with more great brands:

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Article Sources

• Linsenmayer, T. F. Collagen Springer Link In Cell biology of extracellular matrix (pp. 7-44). Springer, Boston, MA
• Liu, J., Zhang, B., Song, S., Ma, M., Si, S., Wang, Y., ... & Guo, Y. Bovine Collagen Peptides Compounds Promote the Proliferation and Differentiation of MC3T3-E1 Pre-Osteoblasts PloS one, 9(6), e99920
• Kumar, S., Sugihara, F., Suzuki, K., Inoue, N., & Venkateswarathirukumara, S. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, clinical study on the effectiveness of collagen peptide on osteoarthritis Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 95(4), 702-707
• Arden, N., & Nevitt, M. C. Osteoarthritis: Epidemiology Science Direct Best practice & research Clinical rheumatology, 20(1), 3-25
• Al-Atif, H. Collagen Supplements for Aging and Wrinkles: A Paradigm Shift in the Field of Dermatology and Cosmetics Dermatology Practical & Conceptual, e2022018-e2022018
• Oesser, S. The oral intake of specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides has a positive effect on hair thickness International Journal on Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods and Novel Foods
• Said, H. M. Biotin: the forgotten vitamin The American journal of clinical nutrition, 75(2), 179-180
• Patel, D. P., Swink, S. M., & Castelo-Soccio, L. A Review of the Use of Biotin for Hair Loss Karger Skin appendage disorders, 3(3), 166-169
• Wagle, S. R. Effects of biotin deficiency on carbohydrate metabolism Science Direct Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 103(2), 267-271
• Clegg, M. E. Medium-chain triglycerides are advantageous in promoting weight loss although not beneficial to exercise performance International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 61(7), 653-679
• Croteau, E., Castellano, C. A., Richard, M. A., Fortier, M., Nugent, S., Lepage, M., ... & Cunnane, S. C. Ketogenic Medium Chain Triglycerides Increase Brain Energy Metabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 64(2), 551-561
• Thevenet, Jonathan,. Et Al. Medium-chain fatty acids inhibit mitochondrial metabolism in astrocytes promoting astrocyte-neuron lactate and ketone body shuttle systems The FASEB Journal, 30(5), 1913-1926

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Good Scientific Practice and Ethics in Sports and Exercise Science: A Brief and Comprehensive Hands-on Appraisal for Sports Research

Nitin kumar arora.

1 Department of Intervention Research in Exercise Training, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, Germany

2 Department of Physiotherapy, University of Applied Sciences, 44801 Bochum, Germany

Golo Roehrken

Sarah crumbach.

3 Institute of Sport Economics and Sport Management, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, Germany

Ashwin Phatak

4 Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, Germany

Berit K. Labott

5 Institute of Sport Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany

André Nicklas

Pamela wicker.

6 Department of Sports Science, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany

Lars Donath

Associated data.

No new data were created or analyzed in this study. Data sharing is not applicable to this article.

Sports and exercise training research is constantly evolving to maintain, improve, or regain psychophysical, social, and emotional performance. Exercise training research requires a balance between the benefits and the potential risks. There is an inherent risk of scientific misconduct and adverse events in most sports; however, there is a need to minimize it. We aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the clinical and ethical challenges in sports and exercise research. We also enlist solutions to improve method design in clinical trials and provide checklists to minimize the chances of scientific misconduct. At the outset, historical milestones of exercise science literature are summarized. It is followed by details about the currently available regulations that help to reduce the risk of violating good scientific practices. We also outline the unique characteristics of sports-related research with a narrative of the major differences between sports and drug-based trials. An emphasis is then placed on the importance of well-designed studies to improve the interpretability of results and generalizability of the findings. This review finally suggests that sports researchers should comply with the available guidelines to improve the planning and conduct of future research thereby reducing the risk of harm to research participants. The authors suggest creating an oath to prevent malpractice, thereby improving the knowledge standards in sports research. This will also aid in deriving more meaningful implications for future research based on high-quality, ethically sound evidence.

1. Introduction

Historical milestones of ethical and scientific misconduct in research.

Until the early 19th century, ‘truth’ was fundamentally influenced by cults, religion, and monarchism [ 1 ]. With the ‘enlightenment’ of academicians, clinicians and researchers in the 19th century [ 2 ], scientific research started to impact the lives of people by providing balanced facts, figures and uncertainties, thereby leading to a better explanation for reality (i.e., evidence vs. eminence). However, dualistic thinking was still interfering with the newer rationalized approach as the estimation of reality by scientific estimation was still being challenged by the dogmatic view of real truth [ 3 ].

Over the last decades, researchers underestimated the importance of good ethical conduct [ 4 ] in human research by misinterpreting the probabilistic nature of scientific reasoning. Scientific research had constantly been exploited for personal reputations, political power, and terror [ 3 ]. The ‘Eugenics program’ originating from the Nazi ideology is an unsettling example of ethical failure and scientific collapse. As part of this program, scientific research was being exploited to justify unwanted sterilization (0.5 million) [ 5 ] and mass-killing (0.25 million) [ 6 ] for the sake of selection and elimination of ‘unfit genetic material’. In 1955, more than 200,000 children were infected with a Polio vaccine that was not appropriately handled as per the recommended routines [ 7 ]. Likewise, the thalidomide disaster of 1962 led to limb deformities and teratogenesis in more than ten thousand newborn children [ 8 ]. Considering the aforementioned unethical practices and misconduct, there is a strong need to comply with and re-emphasize the importance of ethics and good scientific practice in humans and other species alike.

In the process of evolution of scientific research, the Nuremberg code laid the foundation for developing ethical biomedical research principles (e.g., the importance of ‘voluntary and informed consent’) [ 9 ]. Based on the Nuremberg code and the previously available medical literature, the first ethical principles (i.e., Declaration of Helsinki) were put into practice for safe human experimentation by the World Medical Association in 1964. This declaration proved to be a cornerstone of medical research involving humans and emphasized on considering the health of the patients as the topmost priority [ 10 ]. The year 1979 could also be seen as an important milestone, as the ‘Belmont report’ was introduced that supported the idea: ‘the interventions and drugs have to eventually show beneficial effects’. The Belmont report suggests that the recruitment, selection and treatment of participants needs to be equitable. It also highlights the importance of providing a valid rationale for testing procedures to prevent and minimize the risks or harms to the included participants [ 11 ].

As a result of the introduction of ethical principles, it became evident that research designs and results should be independent of political influence and reputational gains. There should also be no undeclared conflicts of interest [ 12 ]. Interestingly, sports and exercise science emerged as politically meaningful instruments for showing power during the Cold War (i.e., Eastern socialism versus Western capitalism) [ 13 ]. Researchers were either being manipulated or sometimes not even published to reduce awareness about the negative effects of performance-enhancing substances [ 14 , 15 ]. Even though these malpractices were strictly against the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki [ 14 ], these were prevalent globally, thereby contributing to several incidents of doping in sports [ 16 ]. To further minimize unethical research practices, the Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Standards were presented in 1997 to guide the design of clinical trials and formulation of valid research questions [ 17 ]. However, some authors criticise the Good Clinical Practice standards as not being morally sufficient to rule out personal conflicts of interest when compared to the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki [ 18 ].

Nowadays, professional development and scientific reputation in the research community are related to an increase in the number of publications in high-ranked journals. However, the increasing number of publications gives very little information about the scientific quality of the employed methods, as some of the published papers either contain manipulated results [ 19 ] or methods that could not be replicated [ 12 ]. Moral and ethical standards are widely followed by sports researchers as evidenced by the applied methods that are mostly safe, justified, valuable, reliable and ethically approved. However, the ethical approval procedures, the dose and the application of exercise training vary greatly between studies and institutions. The review by Kruk et al., 2013 [ 20 ] provides a balanced summary of the various principles based on the Nuremberg Code and the Declaration of Helsinki. GCP standards of blinding (subjects and outcome assessors), randomization, and selection are not consistently considered and are sometimes difficult to follow due to limited financial and organizational resources. There is a prevalent trend in the publication of positive results in the scientific community, as negative results often fail to pass editorial review [ 21 ]. Additionally, certain unethical research practices have been observed, such as the multiple publication of data from a single trial (referred to as “data slicing”), the submission of duplicate findings to multiple journals, and instances of plagiarism [ 22 ]. These limitations negatively affect the power, validity, interpretability and applicability of the available evidence for future research in sports and exercise science. Previous research showed that, if used systematically, lifestyle change and exercise interventions can prove to be one of the most efficient strategies for obtaining positive health outcomes [ 23 ] and longevity [ 24 ]. Hence, the present article recommends avoiding malpractices and using the underlying ethical standards to balance risks and benefits along with preventing data manipulation and portrayal of false-positive results.

2. Codes of Conduct in Sport Research

All the available codes, declarations, statements, and guidelines aim at providing frameworks for conducting ethical research across disciplines. These frameworks generally cover the regulative, punitive, and educational aspects of research. Codes of ethical conduct not only outline the rules and recommendations for conducting research but also outline punishments in case of non-compliance or misconduct. Hence, these ethical codes and guidelines should be considered the most important educational keystones for researchers as these frameworks allow scientists to design and conduct their studies in a better way. Declarations and guidelines are regularly updated to accommodate newer information and corrections. Thus, one also needs to be flexible when using these guidelines as these reflect ongoing scientific and societal development.

Codes and declarations in sport and exercise science regulate both quantitative and qualitative research and include information about human and animal rights, research design and integrity, authorship and plagiarism. We will categorize these guidelines based on the individuals whom guidelines aim to protect (e.g., participants or researchers).

Legal codes and norms of a country are inherently binding to the researchers and institutions who are conducting the research and do not require ratification from the researching individual or organization. These laws can include data storage, child protection, intellectual property rights, or medical regulations applicable to a specific study. However, ethics codes not only cater to the questions of legality but also include moral parameters of research like conducting ‘true’ research. Likewise, if the codes are drafted by a research organization, everyone conducting research for this particular organization is supposed to follow these codes.

Researchers have the responsibility to assess which codes, and standards are relevant to their field of research depending on the country, participants, and research institution ( Table 1 ). This can be confirmed by the academic supervisors or the scientific ethics board of the research institution. While there is a growing number of codes and guidelines for different research fields, it is important to consider that none of these can cater to the needs of every single research design alone. For example, the Code of Ethics of the American Sociological Association (ASA) states: “Most of the Ethical Standards are written broadly in order to apply to sociologists in varied roles, and the application of an Ethical Standard may vary depending on the context” [ 25 ]. Hence, as ethical standards are not exhaustive, scientific conduct that is not specifically addressed by this Code of Ethics is not necessarily ethical or unethical [ 25 ].

Detailed overview of Codes, Declarations, Statements and Guidelines relevant for sports and exercise science research.

It is crucial to recognize the purpose of an ethics code rather than just following it for ticking boxes. Understanding the aims and limitations of an ethics code will allow for a more meaningful application of the underlying principles to the specific context without ignoring the potential limitations of a study. Unintentional transgressions can occur through subconscious bias, fallacies, or human errors. However, the unintentional errors can be mitigated by following the streamlined process of research conception, method development and study conduct following approval from the Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), Ethical Research Commissions (ERCs), supervisors, and peers. In case of intentional errors, the punitive aspect needs to come into action and the transgressors might need to be investigated and sanctioned, either by the research organizations or by law.

3. Differences between Drug and Exercise Trials

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are regarded as the highest level of evidence [ 26 , 27 ]. For both the cases (exercise vs. drug studies), RCTs primarily aim at investigating the dose-response relationships and obtaining causal relationships [ 28 ]. Drug trials compare one drug to other alternatives (e.g., another drug, a placebo, or a treatment as usual). Likewise, exercise trials often compare one mode of exercise to another exercise or no exercise interventions (e.g., usual care, waitlist control, true control, etc.), ideally under caloric, workload or time-matched conditions. However, placebo or sham trials are still rare in sports and exercise research due to their challenging nature [ 29 ]. The following quality requirements should be fulfilled for conducting high-quality exercise trials: (a) ensure blinding of assessors, participants and researchers; (b) placebo/sham intervention (if possible), and (c) adequate randomization and concealed allocation.

3.1. Blinding

The term ‘blinding’ (or ‘masking’) involves keeping several involved key persons unaware of the group allocation, the treatment, or the hypothesis of a clinical trial [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. The term blinding and also the types of blinding (single, double, or triple blind) are being increasingly used and accepted by researchers but there is a lack of clarity and consistency in the interpretation of those terms [ 33 , 35 , 36 ]. Blinding should be conducted for participants, health care providers, coaches, outcome assessors, data analysts, etc. [ 31 , 33 , 34 , 37 ]. The blinding process helps in preventing bias due to differential treatment perceptions and expectations of the involved groups [ 28 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 38 , 39 , 40 ].

Previous research has shown that trials with inadequately reported methods [ 41 ] and non-blinded assessors [ 42 ] or participants [ 43 ] tend to overestimate the effects of intervention. Hence, blinding serves as an important prerequisite for controlling the methodological quality of a clinical trial, thereby reducing bias in assessed outcomes. Owing to this reason, most of the current methodological quality assessment tools and reporting checklists have dedicated sections for ‘blinding’. For example, three out of eleven items are meant for assessing ‘blinding’ in the PEDro scale [ 44 ]; the CONSORT checklist for improving the reporting of RCTs also includes a section on ‘blinding’ [ 45 ]. In an ideal trial, all participants involved in the study should be ‘blinded’ [ 30 ]. However, choosing whom to ‘blind’ also depends on and varies with the research question, study design and the research field under consideration. In the case of exercise trials, blinding is either not adequately done or poorly reported [ 36 , 46 ]. The lack of reporting might be the result of a lack of awareness of the blinding procedures rather than the poor methodological conduct of the trial itself [ 34 ]. Hence, blinding is not sufficiently addressed in exercise, medicine and psychology trials [ 47 , 48 ] due to lacking knowledge, awareness and guidance in these scientific fields leading to an increased risk of bias [ 48 ].

Blinding of participants is difficult to achieve and maintain [ 34 , 39 , 40 , 49 ] in exercise trials as the participants would usually be aware of whether they are in the exercise group or the control (inactive) group [ 31 , 39 , 50 ]. Likewise, the therapists are also generally aware of the interventions they are delivering [ 51 ], and the assessors are aware of the group allocation because it is common in sports sciences that researchers are involved in different parts of research (recruiting, assessment, allocation, training, data handling analysis) due to limited financial resources. Thus, the adequacy of blinding is usually not assessed as it is often seen as ’impossible’ in exercise trials.

Consequently, we strongly recommend using independent staff for testing, training, control and supervision to improve possibilities of blinding of the individuals involved in the study [ 39 ]. Researcher also need to decide if it is methodologically feasible and ethically acceptable to withhold the information about the hypothesis and the study aims [ 52 ] from assessors and participants. This needs to be considered, addressed and justified before the trial commences (i.e., a priori). While reporting methods of exercise trials, it is important not only to describe who was blinded but also to elaborate the methods used for blinding [ 33 , 48 ]. This helps the readers and research community to effectively evaluate the level of blinding in the trial under consideration [ 33 , 53 ]. Furthermore, if blinding was carried out, the authors can also include the assessment of success of the blinding procedure [ 33 , 54 ]. Readers can access more information about the various possibilities for blinding using the following link ( http://links.lww.com/PHM/A246 accessed on 10 October 2022) [ 36 ].

3.2. “Placebo” (or Sham Intervention)

‘Placebo’ is an important research instrument used in pharmacology trials to demonstrate the true efficacy of a drug by minimizing therapy expectations of the participants [ 55 ]. As the term placebo is generally used in a broad manner, precise definitions are difficult. Placebo is used as a control therapy in clinical trials owing to their comparable appearance to the ‘real’ treatment without the specific therapeutic activity [ 56 ]. In an ideal research experiment, it would not be possible to differentiate between a placebo and an intervention treatment [ 57 , 58 ]. The participants should not be aware of the treatment group either, because it can lead to the knowledge of whether they received a placebo or the investigated drug [ 57 ]. A review of clinical trials comparing ‘no treatment’ to a ‘placebo treatment’ concluded that the placebo treatment had no significant additional effects overall but may produce relevant clinical effects on an individual level [ 59 ]. As outlined previously, the placebo effect is rarely investigated in sports and exercise studies. It is generally investigated using nutritional supplements, ergonomic aids, or various forms of therapy in the few existing studies [ 60 ]. Placebos have been shown to have a favorable effect on sports performance research [ 61 ], implying that these could be used for improving performance without using any additional performance-enhancing drugs [ 62 ].

However, it is quite difficult to have an adequate placebo in exercise intervention studies, as there is currently no standard placebo for structured exercise training [ 28 ]. For exercise training interventions, a placebo condition is defined as “an intervention that was not generally recognized as efficacious, that lacked adequate evidence for efficacy, and that has no direct pharmacological, biochemical, or physical mechanism of action according to the current standard of knowledge” [ 63 ]. As a result, using a placebo in exercise interventions is often seen as impractical and inefficient [ 57 , 58 ]. As the concept of blinding is also linked to the use of a placebo, it is usually difficult to implement in exercise trials.

When it comes to exercise experiments, an active control group is considered to be more effective than a placebo group [ 10 , 28 ]. In other cases, usual care or standard care can also be used as the control intervention [ 28 ]. In exercise trials, instead of using the term ‘placebo treatment’, the terms “placebo-like treatment” or “sham interventions” should be applied [ 64 , 65 ]. Previous recommendations by other researchers [ 61 ] also underpin our rationale.

3.3. Randomization and Allocation Concealment

Group allocation in a research study should be randomized and concealed by an independent researcher to minimize selection bias [ 66 ]. Randomization procedures ensure that the differences in treatment outcomes solely occur by chance [ 28 , 67 ]. Several methods for randomization are available; however, methods such as stratified randomization are being increasingly popular as they ensure equal distribution of participants to the different groups based on several important characteristics [ 66 ]. Other types of randomization, such as cluster randomization, may be appropriate when investigating larger groups, for example, in multicenter trials [ 28 ].

Since researchers are frequently involved in all phases of a trial (recruitment, allocation, assessment and data processing), randomization should usually be conducted by someone who is not familiar with the project’s aims and hypotheses. In studies with a large number of participants, the interaction between subjects and assessors can significantly impact the results [ 68 ]. The randomization procedure used in the clinical trial should be presented in scientific articles and project reports so that readers can understand and replicate the process if needed [ 66 ]. Based on the aforementioned aspects, exercise trials are not easily comparable to drug trials and the differences lead to difficulties in conducting scientifically conceptualized exercise trials. However, researchers should strive for quality research by using robust methods and providing detailed information on blinding, randomization, choice of control groups, or sham therapies, as appropriate. Researchers should critically evaluate the risk-benefit ratio of exercise so that the positive impacts of exercise on health can be derived and the cardiovascular risks associated with exercise could be minimized [ 69 ].

4. Key Elements of an Ethical Approval in Exercise Science

As previously described, ethical guidelines are needed to protect study participants from potential study risks and increase the chances of attaining results that ease interpretation. Therefore, a prospective ethical approval process is required prior to the recruitment of the participants [ 70 ]. This practice equally benefits the participants by safeguarding them against potential risks and the practitioners who base their clinical decisions on research results. Research results from a study with a strong methodology will enable informed and evidence-based decision making. If the methodology of a research project contains some major flaws, it will negatively affect the practical applicability of the observed results [ 71 ]. Various journal reviewers provide suggestions to reject manuscripts without any option to resubmit if no ethical approval information is provided. This demonstrates the importance of ethical approval and proper scientific conduct in research [ 70 ].

The following key elements need to be addressed in an ethical review proposal: Introduction, method, participant protection, and appendix. These key elements should be detailed in a proposal with at least three crucial characteristics addressed in each section ( Figure 1 ). This hands-on framework would help to expedite the process of decision-making for members of the ethics committee [ 72 ].

Overview 4 × 3 short list for outlining ethical approval in sport and exercise science.

The ‘introduction’ section should start with a general overview of the current state of research [ 4 ]. Researchers need to describe the rationale of the proposed study in an easy and comprehensible language considering the current state of knowledge on that topic [ 4 ]. The description helps to provide a balanced summary of the risks and benefits associated with the interventions in the proposed study. The novelty of the stated research question and the underlying hypothesis must be justified. If the proposed study fails to expand the current literature on the topic under consideration, conducting the study would be a ‘waste’ of time and financial resources for researchers, participants, and funding agencies [ 73 ]. Hence, ethical approvals should not be given for research projects that fail to provide novelty in the approach to the respective research area. The introduction should also include information on funding sources including the name of the funding partner, duration of monetary/resource support, and any potential conflicts of interest. If no funding is available, authors should declare that ‘This study received no funding’ [ 70 ].

The subsequent ‘methods’ section should include detailed information about the temporal and structural aspects of the study design. Researchers should justify the used study design in a detailed manner [ 4 , 28 ]. Multiple research designs can be utilized for addressing a specific research question, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and single-case trial designs [ 74 , 75 ]. However, a valid rationale should be provided for choosing a randomized cross-over trial design when the gold standard of randomized control trials is also feasible. Readers are advised to refer to the framework laid down by Hecksteden et al., 2018, for extensive information on this section [ 28 ]. Researchers should also provide a broad, global and up-to-date literature-based justification for their interventions or methods employed in the study. For instance, if the participants are asked to consume supplements, the recommendations for the dose needs to be explained based on prior high-quality studies and reviews for that supplement [ 4 ]. The criteria for subject selection (inclusion and exclusion criteria) and sample size estimation need to be explained in detail to allow replication of the study in the future [ 76 ]. Lacking sample size estimations is only acceptable in rare cases and requires detailed explanations (e.g., pilot trials, exploratory trials to formulate a hypothesis, acceptability trials). Moreover, sufficient details should be provided for the measuring devices used in the study and a sound rationale should be provided for the choice of that particular measuring device and the measured parameters [ 4 ].

The section on ‘participant protection’ deals with potential risks (physical and psychological adverse outcomes) and benefits to the participants. The focus should be adjusted to the study population under consideration. For example, while conducting a study on a novel weight training protocol with elite athletes, all information and possible effects on the athletes’ performance need to be considered, as their performance level is their ‘human capital’ [ 4 ]. The investigators also need to provide information on the individuals responsible for different parts of the study, i.e., treatment provider, outcome assessor, statistician, etc. In some cases, externally qualified personnel are needed during the examination process. For example, a physician might be needed for blood sampling or biopsies and this person should also be familiar with the regulations and procedures to avoid risk to the participants due to a lack of experience in this area. Prior experience and qualifications are required for conducting research with vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly and pregnant females. Williams et al. (2011) summarized essential aspects of conducting research studies with younger participants [ 77 ]. Overall, the personnel should be blinded to the details of the group allocation and participants, if possible [ 30 ]. The study applicants also need to provide information about the planned compensation and the follow-up interventions. Harriss and colleagues suggested that the investigators are not expected to offer the treatments in case of injury to the participants during the study (except first aid) [ 70 ]. However, this recommendation is not usually documented and translated into research practice.

The ‘appendix’ section should contain relevant details about the following: consent, information to the participants and a declaration of pre-registration. The information to the participant and the consent forms need to be documented in an easy to understand language. A brief summary of the purpose of the study and the tasks to be performed by the participants should also be added. Then, a concise but comprehensive overview of the potential risks and benefits is needed. The next section should include information for participants: the participants’ right to decline participation without any consequence and the right to withdraw their consent at any time without any explanation. The regulations for the storage, sharing and retention of study data need to be detailed [ 70 ]. The names and institutional affiliations of all the researchers along with the contact information of the project manager should be listed. A brief overview of the study’s aim, tasks, methods and data acquisition strategies should be described. Finally, consent is needed for processing the recorded personal data [ 70 ]. The last section of the ‘appendix’ must include a declaration of pre-registration (e.g., registration in the Open Science Framework or trial registries) to avoid alterations in the procedure afterward and facilitate replication of study methods [ 78 ].

5. Study Design and Analysis Models

The process of conceptualizing an exercise trial might involve various pitfalls at every stage (hypothesis formulation, study design, methodology, data acquisition, data processing, statistical analysis, presentation and interpretation of results, etc.). Thus, the entire ‘design package’ needs to be considered when constructing an exercise (training) trial [ 28 ]. Formulation of an adequate and justified research question is the essential aspect before starting any research study. Formulating a good research question is pivotal to achieve adequate study quality [ 79 ]. According to Banerjee et al., 2009 [ 80 ], “a strong hypothesis serves the purpose of answering major part of the research question even before the study starts”. As outlined in previous sections, ethical research aspects must be taken into account while framing the research question to protect the privacy and reduce risks to the participants. The confidentiality of data should be ascertained and the participants should be free to withdraw from the study at any time. The authors should also avoid deceptive research practices [ 79 ].

Hecksteden et al., 2018, suggested that RCTs can be regarded as the gold standard for investigating the causal relationships in exercise trials [ 28 ]. However, it is sometimes not feasible to conduct RCTs in the field of sports science due to logistical issues, such as smaller sample sizes and blinding the location of the study (e.g., schools, colleges, clinics, etc.). In this case, alternative study designs such as cluster-RCTs, randomized crossover trials, N-of-1 trials, uncontrolled/non-randomized trials, and prospective cohort studies can be considered [ 81 ]. Considering the complex nature of exercise interventions, the Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT) has been developed to supplement the reporting and documentation of randomized exercise trials [ 81 ]. Adherence to these templates might help to improve the ethical proposal reporting standards when designing new RCTs.

A recent comment, in the journal ‘Nature’, highlights the importance of using the right statistical test and properly interpreting the results. According to the paper, the results of 51 percent of articles published in five peer-reviewed journals were misinterpreted [ 82 ]. Frequentist statistics and p -values are popular summaries of experimental results but there is a scope for misinterpretation due to the lack of supplementary information with these statistics. For instance, authors tend to draw inferences about the results of a study based on certain ‘ threshold p-values ’ (generally p < 0.05) [ 83 ]. However, with an increase in sample size, the p -value tends to come closer to zero regardless of the effect size of the intervention [ 83 ]. With the rise of larger datasets and thus potentially higher sample sizes, the p -value threshold becomes questionable. A call for action has recently been raised by more than 800 signatories to retire statistical significance and to stop categorizing results as being statistically significant or non-significant. Recently, researchers suggested using confidence intervals for improving the interpretation of study results [ 82 ]. Although alternative methods such as magnitude-based inference (MBI) exists, there is scarce evidence that MBI has checked the use of p -value and hypothesis testing by sports researchers [ 84 ]. MBI tends to reduce the type II error rate but it increases the type I error rate by about two to six times the rate of standard hypothesis testing [ 85 ]. In the next paragraphs, we focus on the commonly used practices within the frequentist statistics domain.

Frequentist statistical tests are categorized into parametric and non-parametric tests. Non-parametric tests do not require the data to be normally distributed, whereas parametric tests do [ 86 ]. The following factors help in deciding the appropriate statistical test: (a) type of dependent and independent variables (continuous, discrete, or ordinal); (b) type of distribution, if the groups are independent or matched; (c) levels of observations; and (d) time dependence. Readers can choose the right statistical tests based on the type of research data they are planning to use [ 87 , 88 ]. A recent publication outlined 25 common misinterpretations concerning p -values, confidence intervals, power calculations and key considerations while interpreting frequentist statistics [ 89 ]. We recommend sports researchers consider the listed warnings while interpreting the results of statistical tests.

Out of the various frequentist statistical methods, analysis of variances (ANOVA) is one of the most widely used tests to analyze the results of RCTs. It does not, however, provide an estimate of the difference between groups, which is usually the most important aspect of an RCT [ 90 ]. Linear models (e.g., t -tests) suffer from similar issues when analyzing categorical variables, which are a wider part of RCT analysis [ 91 ]. Type I errors (false positive, rejecting a null hypothesis that is correct) and Type II errors (false negative, failure to reject a false null hypothesis) are often discussed while interpreting RCT results [ 80 ]. Though it is not possible to completely eliminate these errors, there are ways to minimize their likelihood and report the statistics appropriately. The most commonly used methods for minimizing error rates include the following: (a) increasing the sample size; (b) adjusting for covariates and baseline differences [ 92 ]; (c) eliminating significance testing; and (d) reporting a confusion matrix [ 80 , 86 , 93 ].

Mixed logit models are potential solutions for some of the challenges listed above. They combine the advantages of random effects logistic regression analysis with the benefits of regression models [ 94 ]. In addition, mixed logit models, as part of the larger framework of generalized linear mixed models, provide a viable alternative for analyzing a wide range of outcomes. For increasing the transparency and interpretability of the observed results, mixed logit classification algorithms and evaluation matrices such as cross validation and presentation of a confusion matrix (type I and type II error rates) can be utilized [ 86 ]. Mixed logit models can also be utilized as predictive models rather just ‘inference testing’ models.

6. Limitations

Despite extensive efforts to incorporate empirical and current evidence regarding good scientific practice and ethics into this paper, it is possible that some literature may have been omitted. Nonetheless, the paper comprehensively covers key aspects of prevalent ethical misconducts and the standards that should be upheld to prevent such practices. As a result, readers can have confidence in the literature presented, which is based on a substantial body of existing evidence. Readers are also encouraged to engage in critical evaluation and to consider new approaches that could improve the overall scientific literature.

7. Conclusions

We highlighted the various pitfalls and misconduct that can take place in sports and exercise research. Individual researchers associated with a research organization need to comply with the highest available standards. They need to maintain an intact ‘moral compass’ that is unaffected by expectations and environmental constraints thereby reducing the likelihood of unethical behavior for the sake of publication quantity, interpretability, applicability and societal trust in evidence-based decision-making. To achieve these objectives, a Health and Exercise Research Oath (HERO) could be developed that minimizes the allurement to cheat and could be used by PhD candidates, senior researchers, and professors. Such an oath would prevent intentional or unintentional malpractices in sport and exercise research, thereby strengthening the knowledge standards based on ethical exercise science research. Overall, this will also improve the applicability and interpretability of research outcomes.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Open Access Publication Fund of Bielefeld University for the article processing charge.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, N.K.A., G.R., S.C., A.P., B.K.L., A.N., P.W. and L.D.; methodology, N.K.A., G.R., S.C., A.P., B.K.L., A.N., P.W. and L.D.; resources, P.W. and L.D.; data curation, N.K.A., G.R., S.C., A.P., B.K.L., A.N., P.W. and L.D.; writing—original draft preparation, N.K.A., G.R., S.C., A.P., B.K.L., A.N., P.W. and L.D.; writing—review and editing, N.K.A., G.R., S.C., A.P., B.K.L., A.N., P.W. and L.D.; visualization, N.K.A., G.R., S.C., A.P., B.K.L., A.N., P.W. and L.D.; supervision, P.W. and L.D.; project administration, L.D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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• Open access
• Published: 21 May 2024

The bright side of sports: a systematic review on well-being, positive emotions and performance

• David Peris-Delcampo 1 ,
• Antonio Núñez 2 ,
• Paula Ortiz-Marholz 3 ,
• Aurelio Olmedilla 4 ,
• Enrique Cantón 1 ,
• Javier Ponseti 2 &
• Alejandro Garcia-Mas 2  

BMC Psychology volume  12 , Article number:  284 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Metrics details

The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review regarding the relationship between positive psychological factors, such as psychological well-being and pleasant emotions, and sports performance.

This study, carried out through a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines considering the Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed and SPORT Discus databases, seeks to highlight the relationship between other more ‘positive’ factors, such as well-being, positive emotions and sports performance.

The keywords will be decided by a Delphi Method in two rounds with sport psychology experts.

Participants

There are no participants in the present research.

The main exclusion criteria were: Non-sport thema, sample younger or older than 20–65 years old, qualitative or other methodology studies, COVID-related, journals not exclusively about Psychology.

Main outcomes measures

We obtained a first sample of 238 papers, and finally, this sample was reduced to the final sample of 11 papers.

The results obtained are intended to be a representation of the ‘bright side’ of sports practice, and as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on athletes’ and coaches’ performance.

Conclusions

Clear recognition that acting on intrinsic motivation continues to be the best and most effective way to motivate oneself to obtain the highest levels of performance, a good perception of competence and a source of personal satisfaction.

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Introduction

In recent decades, research in the psychology of sport and physical exercise has focused on the analysis of psychological variables that could have a disturbing, unfavourable or detrimental role, including emotions that are considered ‘negative’, such as anxiety/stress, sadness or anger, concentrating on their unfavourable relationship with sports performance [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ], sports injuries [ 5 , 6 , 7 ] or, more generally, damage to the athlete’s health [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The study of ‘positive’ emotions such as happiness or, more broadly, psychological well-being, has been postponed at this time, although in recent years this has seen an increase that reveals a field of study of great interest to researchers and professionals [ 11 , 12 , 13 ] including physiological, psychological, moral and social beneficial effects of the physical activity in comic book heroes such as Tintin, a team leader, which can serve as a model for promoting healthy lifestyles, or seeking ‘eternal youth’ [ 14 ].

Emotions in relation to their effects on sports practice and performance rarely go in one direction, being either negative or positive—generally positive and negative emotions do not act alone [ 15 ]. Athletes experience different emotions simultaneously, even if they are in opposition and especially if they are of mild or moderate intensity [ 16 ]. The athlete can feel satisfied and happy and at the same time perceive a high level of stress or anxiety before a specific test or competition. Some studies [ 17 ] have shown how sports participation and the perceived value of elite sports positively affect the subjective well-being of the athlete. This also seems to be the case in non-elite sports practice. The review by Mansfield et al. [ 18 ] showed that the published literature suggests that practising sports and dance, in a group or supported by peers, can improve the subjective well-being of the participants, and also identifies negative feelings towards competence and ability, although the quantity and quality of the evidence published is low, requiring better designed studies. All these investigations are also supported by the development of the concept of eudaimonic well-being [ 19 ], which is linked to the development of intrinsic motivation, not only in its aspect of enjoyment but also in its relationship with the perception of competition and overcoming and achieving goals, even if this is accompanied by other unpleasant hedonic emotions or even physical discomfort. Shortly after a person has practised sports, he will remember those feelings of exhaustion and possibly stiffness, linked to feelings of satisfaction and even enjoyment.

Furthermore, the mediating role of parents, coaches and other psychosocial agents can be significant. In this sense, Lemelin et al. [ 20 ], with the aim of investigating the role of autonomy support from parents and coaches in the prediction of well-being and performance of athletes, found that autonomy support from parents and coaches has positive relationships with the well-being of the athlete, but that only coach autonomy support is associated with sports performance. This research suggests that parents and coaches play important but distinct roles in athlete well-being and that coach autonomy support could help athletes achieve high levels of performance.

On the other hand, an analysis of emotions in the sociocultural environment in which they arise and gain meaning is always interesting, both from an individual perspective and from a sports team perspective. Adler et al. [ 21 ] in a study with military teams showed that teams with a strong emotional culture of optimism were better positioned to recover from poor performance, suggesting that organisations that promote an optimistic culture develop more resilient teams. Pekrun et al. [ 22 ] observed with mathematics students that individual success boosts emotional well-being, while placing people in high-performance groups can undermine it, which is of great interest in investigating the effectiveness and adjustment of the individual in sports teams.

There is still little scientific literature in the field of positive emotions and their relationship with sports practice and athlete performance, although their approach has long had its clear supporters [ 23 , 24 ]. It is comforting to observe the significant increase in studies in this field, since some authors (e.g [ 25 , 26 ]). . , point out the need to overcome certain methodological and conceptual problems, paying special attention to the development of specific instruments for the evaluation of well-being in the sports field and evaluation methodologies.

As McCarthy [ 15 ] indicates, positive emotions (hedonically pleasant) can be the catalysts for excellence in sport and deserve a space in our research and in professional intervention to raise the level of athletes’ performance. From a holistic perspective, positive emotions are permanently linked to psychological well-being and research in this field is necessary: firstly because of the leading role they play in human behaviour, cognition and affection, and secondly, because after a few years of international uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic and wars, it seems ‘healthy and intelligent’ to encourage positive emotions for our athletes. An additional reason is that they are known to improve motivational processes, reducing abandonment and negative emotional costs [ 11 ]. In this vein, concepts such as emotional intelligence make sense and can help to identify and properly manage emotions in the sports field and determine their relationship with performance [ 27 ] that facilitates the inclusion of emotional training programmes based on the ‘bright side’ of sports practice [ 28 ].

Based on all of the above, one might wonder how these positive emotions are related to a given event and what role each one of them plays in the athlete’s performance. Do they directly affect performance, or do they affect other psychological variables such as concentration, motivation and self-efficacy? Do they favour the availability and competent performance of the athlete in a competition? How can they be regulated, controlled for their own benefit? How can other psychosocial agents, such as parents or coaches, help to increase the well-being of their athletes?

This work aims to enhance the leading role, not the secondary, of the ‘good and pleasant side’ of sports practice, either with its own entity, or as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on the performance of athletes and coaches. Therefore, the objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review regarding the relationship between positive psychological factors, such as psychological well-being and pleasant emotions, and sports performance. For this, the methodological criteria that constitute the systematic review procedure will be followed.

Materials and methods

This study was carried out through a systematic review using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews) guidelines considering the Web of Science (WoS) and Psycinfo databases. These two databases were selected using the Delphi method [ 29 ]. It does not include a meta-analysis because there is great data dispersion due to the different methodologies used [ 30 ].

The keywords will be decided by the Delphi Method in two rounds with sport psychology experts. The results obtained are intended to be a representation of the ‘bright side’ of sports practice, and as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on athletes’ and coaches’ performance.

It was determined that the main construct was to be psychological well-being, and that it was to be paired with optimism, healthy practice, realisation, positive mood, and performance and sport. The search period was limited to papers published between 2000 and 2023, and the final list of papers was obtained on February 13 , 2023. This research was conducted in two languages—English and Spanish—and was limited to psychological journals and specifically those articles where the sample was formed by athletes.

Each word was searched for in each database, followed by searches involving combinations of the same in pairs and then in trios. In relation to the results obtained, it was decided that the best approach was to group the words connected to positive psychology on the one hand, and on the other, those related to self-realisation/performance/health. In this way, it used parentheses to group words (psychological well-being; or optimism; or positive mood) with the Boolean ‘or’ between them (all three refer to positive psychology); and on the other hand, it grouped those related to performance/health/realisation (realisation; or healthy practice or performance), separating both sets of parentheses by the Boolean ‘and’’. To further filter the search, a keyword included in the title and in the inclusion criteria was added, which was ‘sport’ with the Boolean ‘and’’. In this way, the search achieved results that combined at least one of the three positive psychology terms and one of the other three.

Results (first phase)

The mentioned keywords were cross-matched, obtaining the combination with a sufficient number of papers. From the first research phase, the total number of papers obtained was 238. Then screening was carried out by 4 well-differentiated phases that are summarised in Fig.  1 . These phases helped to reduce the original sample to a more accurate one.

Phases of the selection process for the final sample. Four phases were carried out to select the final sample of articles. The first phase allowed the elimination of duplicates. In the second stage, those that, by title or abstract, did not fit the objectives of the article were eliminated. Previously selected exclusion criteria were applied to the remaining sample. Thus, in phase 4, the final sample of 11 selected articles was obtained

Results (second phase)

The first screening examined the title, and the abstract if needed, excluding the papers that were duplicated, contained errors or someone with formal problems, low N or case studies. This screening allowed the initial sample to be reduced to a more accurate one with 109 papers selected.

Results (third phase)

This was followed by the second screening to examine the abstract and full texts, excluding if necessary papers related to non-sports themes, samples that were too old or too young for our interests, papers using qualitative methodologies, articles related to the COVID period, or others published in non-psychological journals. Furthermore, papers related to ‘negative psychological variables’’ were also excluded.

Results (fourth phase)

At the end of this second screening the remaining number of papers was 11. In this final phase we tried to organise the main characteristics and their main conclusions/results in a comprehensible list (Table  1 ). Moreover, in order to enrich our sample of papers, we decided to include some articles from other sources, mainly those presented in the introduction to sustain the conceptual framework of the concept ‘bright side’ of sports.

The usual position of the researcher of psychological variables that affect sports performance is to look for relationships between ‘negative’ variables, first in the form of basic psychological processes, or distorting cognitive behavioural, unpleasant or evaluable as deficiencies or problems, in a psychology for the ‘risk’ society, which emphasises the rehabilitation that stems from overcoming personal and social pathologies [ 31 ], and, lately, regarding the affectation of the athlete’s mental health [ 32 ]. This fact seems to be true in many cases and situations and to openly contradict the proclaimed psychological benefits of practising sports (among others: Cantón [ 33 ], ; Froment and González [ 34 ]; Jürgens [ 35 ]).

However, it is possible to adopt another approach focused on the ‘positive’ variables, also in relation to the athlete’s performance. This has been the main objective of this systematic review of the existing literature and far from being a novel approach, although a minority one, it fits perfectly with the definition of our area of knowledge in the broad field of health, as has been pointed out for some time [ 36 , 37 ].

After carrying out the aforementioned systematic review, a relatively low number of articles were identified by experts that met the established conditions—according to the PRISMA method [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]—regarding databases, keywords, and exclusion and inclusion criteria. These precautions were taken to obtain the most accurate results possible, and thus guarantee the quality of the conclusions.

The first clear result that stands out is the great difficulty in finding articles in which sports ‘performance’ is treated as a well-defined study variable adapted to the situation and the athletes studied. In fact, among the results (11 papers), only 3 associate one or several positive psychological variables with performance (which is evaluated in very different ways, combining objective measures with other subjective ones). This result is not surprising, since in several previous studies (e.g. Nuñez et al. [ 41 ]) using a systematic review, this relationship is found to be very weak and nuanced by the role of different mediating factors, such as previous sports experience or the competitive level (e.g. Rascado, et al. [ 42 ]; Reche, Cepero & Rojas [ 43 ]), despite the belief—even among professional and academic circles—that there is a strong relationship between negative variables and poor performance, and vice versa, with respect to the positive variables.

Regarding what has been evidenced in relation to the latter, even with these restrictions in the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the filters applied to the first findings, a true ‘galaxy’ of variables is obtained, which also belong to different categories and levels of psychological complexity.

A preliminary consideration regarding the current paradigm of sport psychology: although it is true that some recent works have already announced the swing of the pendulum on the objects of study of PD, by returning to the study of traits and dispositions, and even to the personality of athletes [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], our results fully corroborate this trend. Faced with five variables present in the studies selected at the end of the systematic review, a total of three traits/dispositions were found, which were also the most repeated—optimism being present in four articles, mental toughness present in three, and finally, perfectionism—as the representative concepts of this field of psychology, which lately, as has already been indicated, is significantly represented in the field of research in this area [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ]. In short, the psychological variables that finally appear in the selected articles are: psychological well-being (PWB) [ 53 ]; self-compassion, which has recently been gaining much relevance with respect to the positive attributional resolution of personal behaviours [ 54 ], satisfaction with life (balance between sports practice, its results, and life and personal fulfilment [ 55 ], the existence of approach-achievement goals [ 56 ], and perceived social support [ 57 ]). This last concept is maintained transversally in several theoretical frameworks, such as Sports Commitment [ 58 ].

The most relevant concept, both quantitatively and qualitatively, supported by the fact that it is found in combination with different variables and situations, is not a basic psychological process, but a high-level cognitive construct: psychological well-being, in its eudaimonic aspect, first defined in the general population by Carol Ryff [ 59 , 60 ] and introduced at the beginning of this century in sport (e.g., Romero, Brustad & García-Mas [ 13 ], ; Romero, García-Mas & Brustad [ 61 ]). It is important to note that this concept understands psychological well-being as multifactorial, including autonomy, control of the environment in which the activity takes place, social relationships, etc.), meaning personal fulfilment through a determined activity and the achievement or progress towards goals and one’s own objectives, without having any direct relationship with simpler concepts, such as vitality or fun. In the selected studies, PWB appears in five of them, and is related to several of the other variables/traits.

The most relevant result regarding this variable is its link with motivational aspects, as a central axis that relates to different concepts, hence its connection to sports performance, as a goal of constant improvement that requires resistance, perseverance, management of errors and great confidence in the possibility that achievements can be attained, that is, associated with ideas of optimism, which is reflected in expectations of effectiveness.

If we detail the relationships more specifically, we can first review this relationship with the ‘way of being’, understood as personality traits or behavioural tendencies, depending on whether more or less emphasis is placed on their possibilities for change and learning. In these cases, well-being derives from satisfaction with progress towards the desired goal, for which resistance (mental toughness) and confidence (optimism) are needed. When, in addition, the search for improvement is constant and aiming for excellence, its relationship with perfectionism is clear, although it is a factor that should be explored further due to its potential negative effect, at least in the long term.

The relationship between well-being and satisfaction with life is almost tautological, in the precise sense that what produces well-being is the perception of a relationship or positive balance between effort (or the perception of control, if we use stricter terminology) and the results thereof (or the effectiveness of such control). This direct link is especially important when assessing achievement in personally relevant activities, which, in the case of the subjects evaluated in the papers, specifically concern athletes of a certain level of performance, which makes it a more valuable objective than would surely be found in the general population. And precisely because of this effect of the value of performance for athletes of a certain level, it also allows us to understand how well-being is linked to self-compassion, since as a psychological concept it is very close to that of self-esteem, but with a lower ‘demand’ or a greater ‘generosity’, when we encounter failures, mistakes or even defeats along the way, which offers us greater protection from the risk of abandonment and therefore reinforces persistence, a key element for any successful sports career [ 62 ].

It also has a very direct relationship with approach-achievement goals, since precisely one of the central aspects characterising this eudaimonic well-being and differentiating it from hedonic well-being is specifically its relationship with self-determined and persistent progress towards goals or achievements with incentive value for the person, as is sports performance evidently [ 63 ].

Finally, it is interesting to see how we can also find a facet or link relating to the aspects that are more closely-related to the need for human affiliation, with feeling part of a group or human collective, where we can recognise others and recognise ourselves in the achievements obtained and the social reinforcement of those themselves, as indicated by their relationship with perceived social support. This construct is very labile, in fact it is common to find results in which the pressure of social support is hardly differentiated, for example, from the parents of athletes and/or their coaches [ 64 ]. However, its relevance within this set of psychological variables and traits is proof of its possible conceptual validity.

Analysing the results obtained, the first conclusion is that in no case is an integrated model based solely on ‘positive’ variables or traits obtained, since some ‘negative’ ones appear (anxiety, stress, irrational thoughts), affecting the former.

The second conclusion is that among the positive elements the variable coping strategies (their use, or the perception of their effectiveness) and the traits of optimism, perfectionism and self-compassion prevail, since mental strength or psychological well-being (which also appear as important, but with a more complex nature) are seen to be participated in by the aforementioned traits.

Finally, it must be taken into account that the generation of positive elements, such as resilience, or the learning of coping strategies, are directly affected by the educational style received, or by the culture in which the athlete is immersed. Thus, the applied potential of these findings is great, but it must be calibrated according to the educational and/or cultural features of the specific setting.

Limitations

The limitations of this study are those evident and common in SR methodology using the PRISMA system, since the selection of keywords (and their logical connections used in the search), the databases, and the inclusion/exclusion criteria bias the work in its entirety and, therefore, constrain the generalisation of the results obtained.

Likewise, the conclusions must—based on the above and the results obtained—be made with the greatest concreteness and simplicity possible. Although we have tried to reduce these limitations as much as possible through the use of experts in the first steps of the method, they remain and must be considered in terms of the use of the results.

Future developments

Undoubtedly, progress is needed in research to more precisely elucidate the role of well-being, as it has been proposed here, from a bidirectional perspective: as a motivational element to push towards improvement and the achievement of goals, and as a product or effect of the self-determined and competent behaviour of the person, in relation to different factors, such as that indicated here of ‘perfectionism’ or the potential interference of material and social rewards, which are linked to sports performance—in our case—and that could act as a risk factor so that our achievements, far from being a source of well-being and satisfaction, become an insatiable demand in the search to obtain more and more frequent rewards.

From a practical point of view, an empirical investigation should be conducted to see if these relationships hold from a statistical point of view, either in the classical (correlational) or in the probabilistic (Bayesian Networks) plane.

The results obtained in this study, exclusively researched from the desk, force the authors to develop subsequent empirical and/or experimental studies in two senses: (1) what interrelationships exist between the so called ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ psychological variables and traits in sport, and in what sense are each of them produced; and, (2) from a global, motivational point of view, can currently accepted theoretical frameworks, such as SDT, easily accommodate this duality, which is becoming increasingly evident in applied work?

Finally, these studies should lead to proposals applied to the two fields that have appeared to be relevant: educational and cultural.

Application/transfer of results

A clear application of these results is aimed at guiding the training of sports and physical exercise practitioners, directing it towards strategies for assessing achievements, improvements and failure management, which keep them in line with well-being enhancement, eudaimonic, intrinsic and self-determined, which enhances the quality of their learning and their results and also favours personal health and social relationships.

Data availability

There are no further external data.

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Peris-Delcampo, D., Núñez, A., Ortiz-Marholz, P. et al. The bright side of sports: a systematic review on well-being, positive emotions and performance. BMC Psychol 12 , 284 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01769-8

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Sports Research Review - 15 Things You Need to Know

• User Comments
• 13 Answered Questions

We’ve heard about Sweet Sweat, one of the leading products from Sports Research, but wanted to learn more about the product line’s benefits. On the official website, they claim products are affordably priced, offer quality ingredients backed by science.

Our research team focused on the ingredients in the supplements, both the benefits and potential side effects. We also turned our attention toward any research backing claims. Finally, we compiled our data to give you the bottom line.

Sports Research can be purchased through their Official Site .

What is Sports Research?

Sports Research is a family-owned company founded in 1980, specializing in the sale of supplements, sports apparel, and fitness gear. The company asserts its commitment to enhancing family health through the provision of top-quality, cost-effective products.

With a notable flagship product called Sweet Sweat, Sports Research gained widespread recognition. This success spurred the development of an array of health and fitness products, all purportedly backed by research and designed to cater to a diverse audience, as stated on the company’s official website.

Since its inception, Sports Research claims to prioritize both quality and affordability in its offerings, aiming to empower families in their pursuit of improved health. The product line encompasses supplements, sports apparel, and fitness gear, with an emphasis on providing accessible options for individuals seeking reliable solutions for their health and fitness goals.

Their products are meant to do everything from helping people lose weight to increase their workout’s effectiveness to simply feeling better, but what do some of the studies have to say about this kind of supplement?

• Office of Dietary Supplements :  Sometimes, sports supplements can increase strength, endurance, and increased performance.
• Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology :  More research needs to be done to confirm the benefits of athletes consuming dietary supplements for improved exercise benefits.
• Journal of Sports Sciences :  Almost 85% of athletes use some sort of supplement as a part of their regular training, though more research is needed to determine their side effects.

How Did Sports Research Start?

Established in 1980, Sports Research has a history rooted in the vision of Jeff Pedersen, Sr., who entered the supplement industry in 1970. His journey began with the creation of Sweet Sweat, designed to enhance the workouts of members in his athletic club.

According to information available on the Sports Research Corporation’s LinkedIn page, Sweet Sweat gained popularity among club members, leading to enthusiastic recommendations to friends and family. Capitalizing on this positive response, Pedersen officially launched the marketing of the product in 1980.

Today, Sports Research asserts that its product line has expanded to include over forty stock keeping units (skus). Sweet Sweat, the flagship product, has achieved global recognition, being exported to 53 countries. It has found favor among amateur and professional athletes in various disciplines such as bodybuilding , boxing, football, mixed martial arts, track and field, purportedly contributing to improved circulation, energy, and sweating.

The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau ( BBB ) and holds an A+ rating. Customer reviews average at 3 out of 5 stars, based on two reviews, with three complaints successfully resolved in the last three years.

For those interested in contacting Sports Research Corporation, their headquarters is located at 784 W Channel St #200, San Pedro, CA 90731. They can be reached by phone at (310) 519-1484 or via email at [email protected] and [email protected].

Scroll below for one of the best products we’ve seen over the last year.

What is Sports Research Sweet Sweat?

Sports Research’s first product, Sweet Sweat, is a gel placed on the skin before exercise. Some of its ingredients are:

• White Snow Petrolatum
• Brazilian Carnauba Wax
• Acai Pulp Oil
• Organic Coconut Oil
• Pomegranate Seed Oil

Sweet Sweat was designed for athletes and is supposed to increase blood flow to the muscles and increase the body’s metabolic rate . Some of the claimed Sweet Sweat benefits are:

• Better warm-up and recovery.
• Increased circulation, sweating, and motivation.
• Keeps muscle from getting tired.
• Lessens the chance of injuries.

Sweet Sweat is available in a jar or a stick and comes in original, unscented, tropical, citrus and coconut varieties.

Sports Research Garcinia Cambogia

Sports Research does offer a garcinia cambogia supplement, which they named Garcinia Cambogia. The supplement is supposed to aid in weight loss and appetite control.

Sports Research tries to set their product apart from others by including organic virgin coconut oil, making the supplement easier for the body to absorb.

Some other Sports Research supplements are:

Sports Research Collagen Peptides

A powdered drink mix that is supposed to aid in the health of skin, joints, cartilage, hair, bones, and tendons.

Sports Research MCT Oil

There are three varieties of this supplement, Emulsified MCT Oil, Organic MCT Oil, and Premium MCT Oil. The supplement comes in a liquid form that is mixed into drinks to increase energy.

However, according to Top Class Actions, Sports Research underwent a lawsuit for mislabeling their MCT Oil products.

Sports Research Tart Cherry Concentrate

This supplement supplies antioxidants and flavonoids for heart and joint health.

Sports Research Claims

Sports Research makes three main claims about the products that they sell:

• The products are all backed by science.
• The ingredients are all high quality and tested for purity. Organic ingredients are sustainably sourced or certified.
• Their products are priced to be affordable for families.
• In addition to the general claims made, the company makes more specific claims about its products. For example, they say Garcinia Cambogia will “decrease body fat and curb appetite.”
• They say Svetol Green Coffee Bean Extract “provides proven effectiveness for slimming and beauty.”

Sports Research Ingredients

Because Sports Research makes such a wide variety of supplements for different purposes, they naturally use different ingredients. Some of the ingredients found in Sports Research products are:

Garcinia Cambogia

Green coffee bean extract.

• Grass-Fed, Pasture-Raise, Bovine Hide Collagen Peptides
• Curcumin C3 Complex Turmeric
• Organic Tart Cherry Whole Fruit

Does Sports Research Work?

We want to take the word of a company that professes to be family-owned and have families’ health and well-being in mind.

However, we base our reviews on science. We spent some time researching some of the ingredients used in Sports Research products to see if there is any scientific basis for the claims they make about their products.

Here’s what we learned about just a few of the Sports Research ingredients.

Garcinia cambogia is the common name of a tropical plant called garcinia gumma-gutta. The plant grows a fruit similar to a pumpkin, but its color is green or yellow.

Garcinia cambogia is used as a food substance. But, as of late, it has gotten increasing attention for use in weight loss supplements.

Although it’s gotten a lot of attention as having the potential for impressive weight loss results, the truth is that there isn’t a whole lot of scientific evidence suggesting the results are worth talking about.

The active ingredient in garcinia cambogia is hydroxycitric acid (HCA). It’s supposed to help with weight loss in a couple of different ways.

First, it supposedly prevents the body from making fat by interfering with an enzyme called citrate lyase. It is also reported to have appetite suppressing properties.

According to NCBI , studies don’t support the effectiveness of garcinia cambogia for weight loss, though. In one study, participants lost only an average of 2 pounds more than the control group.

The researchers couldn’t say for sure if that tiny weight loss were even due to the supplement. A reduced-calorie diet and exercise could have caused it.

Another study published in the Nutrition Journal also did not find garcinia cambogia effective. The study involved 86 participants who were all overweight.

After 10 weeks of taking a garcinia cambogia supplement while eating their regular diet, the subjects hadn’t lost any weight.

In a study published in JAMA , 135 participants were divided into two groups. One group took a garcinia cambogia, and the other took a placebo.

All of the subjects were overweight, but otherwise in good health. All of the subjects were asked to follow a low in calories diet but high in fiber.

After 12 weeks, the researchers looked for changes in body fat and weight. They observed no differences between the placebo group and those who took garcinia cambogia.

Green coffee bean extract is used in Sports Research’s Svetol Green Coffee Bean. This is a supplement that they claim helps with “slimming,” but science suggests that green coffee beans may not help you lose weight.

According to MedicalNewsToday , there has been other research into the benefits of green coffee. Scientists believe that green coffee may have some health benefits that roasted coffee does not because of chlorogenic acid.

The roasting process takes some of the chlorogenic acids out of coffee. There is some evidence that green coffee may help regulate blood sugar levels by absorbing carbohydrates while they are in the digestive tract.

This prevents the carbs from causing sugar spikes.

However, according to MedlinePlus , there has not been enough scientific evidence to prove that it works, so it is still classified as having “insufficient evidence” for effectiveness.

Collagen Peptides

Collagen is a protein found in connective tissues. Because it is found in all connective tissues throughout the body, it is the most abundant protein in your body.

Collagen is also the substance used to make gelatin and is a component in glue.

Can powdered collagen improve your skin? According to Medical News Today , collagen molecules are too large for the skin to absorb.

Ingesting collagen doesn’t appear to increase collagen levels in the body, either.

How to Use Sports Research

Sports Research products are used according to product type. There isn’t much information on the official website about how each of the products is used, but you may find more through retailers like Amazon and GNC.

The product labels appear to have clear instructions about usage. For example, to use Collagen Peptides, you add a scoop of the powder to a beverage or meal up to twice daily. The label even offers helpful tips about adding ice to the drink after mixing the powder with room temperature liquid to prevent clumping.

Where You Can Buy Sports Research Products

Sports Research supplements and products can be purchased on the official website or through retailers, including:

• The Vitamin Shoppe

How Much Does Sports Research Cost?

The Sports Research prices vary by supplement, but they range from $20 to $50. Some of the prices for their supplements on their official website are:

• Vitamin K2: $16.15
• Collagen Peptides 16oz: $32.95
• Keto +Plus: $45.95
• Sweet Sweat Waist Trimmer: $27.95
• Sweet Sweat Stick: $29.95
• MCT Oil: $16.95
• Keto Omega: $30.95

Sports Research has distinct return policies depending on the type of product purchased. For Activewear, Trimmer & Trimmer Bundles, Pre & Post Sweat Bundles, Supplements, and All other products, the return window is 45 days from the date of shipment. Sweet Sweat Gels, however, have a 90-day return period. Resistance Bands, Ab Wheel & Loop Bands come with a 365-day return policy from the date of shipment.

If you are dissatisfied with a product, you can initiate a return by placing it in a box, shipping it back to the company, and including a note requesting a refund along with the receipt. It’s important to note that the cost of return shipping is the responsibility of the customer.

Sports Research accepts returns for products purchased on their official website. If you obtained a Sports Research product from another retailer, you must contact that specific retailer to request a refund.

It’s crucial to be aware that Sports Research does not accept returns for clothing items and performance line products, and they do not facilitate product exchanges.

Potential Sports Research Side Effects

While there are no specific side effects connected to Sports Research products, some may notice side effects from ingredients.

Side effects of garcinia cambogia may include:

• Digestive problems

Side effects of turmeric may include:

• Upset stomach

Collagen protein side effects may include:

Sports Research Product Warnings

Sports Research lists special precautions and warnings on their product labels. Some of the warnings you’ll see are:

Allergen Warning: Contains tree nuts.

Collagen is not a complete protein. Do not use to replace dietary protein or for weight reduction.

Sweet Sweat

Topical use only. Do not ingest.

The products also contain general warnings, such as:

• Do not use if you are pregnant or nursing.
• Talk to a doctor before using if you are a medical condition or are taking medications.
• Don’t take more than recommended.
• Use along with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
• Keep out of the reach of children and pets.

Any Sports Research Lawsuits?

Sports Research seems to have a pretty good reputation based on their BBB rating however, on April 26, 2019, a putative class action lawsuit was filed against Sports Research for alleged false claims that its dietary supplement, “Sports Research Garcinia Cambogia,” is an effective aid in “weight management” and “appetite control.”

In another case , Sports Research on May 26, 2021 has reached a settlement to resolve claims that its Premium MCT Oil products and Turmeric Curcumin C3 Complex products were labeled in a deceptive manner. The settlement provides $3 cash payments or $7 product vouchers to consumers who bought these items between Jan. 9, 2016 and Jan. 9, 2020.

Sports Research Alternatives

Companies are offering similar products to Sports Research. Some brands that offer alternatives to Sports Research products are:

• Activated You
• Fitteam Global
• Perfect Origins
• What Users Are Saying

“I’ve been using the Sports Research Collagen Peptides for a month now and have just received my second order. It’s become an integral part of my daily routine. One of the most appealing aspects of this product is how easily it blends into my protein shake. There’s no gritty texture or unpleasant aftertaste as one might expect from a supplement powder. Instead, it contributes a smooth, creamy consistency that complements my shake perfectly. A pinch of sea salt rounds out the flavor nicely, making my daily doses of collagen something I genuinely look forward to. While it’s still early days, I’m optimistic about the potential benefits this collagen supplement could bring to my skin health. Many other users have reported noticeable improvements in their skin’s elasticity and hydration levels, and I’m eager to see similar results. If you’re in search of a collagen supplement that’s easy to incorporate into your daily routine and has the potential to boost your skin health, I would highly recommend the Sports Research Collagen Peptides. It’s a product I plan on sticking with for the foreseeable future.” Giovanni Di Stadio

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“I’ve been using this MCT oil for about 3 years and it is the best one to emulsify well with my power coffee.” Carmen P. Bergin

The Bottom Line on Sports Research

We like the offerings from Sports Research. The company is a leader in their space and provide products designed to help some users reach their goals. However, there are other alternatives available.

Weight management comes in many forms, whether it’s diet, exercise, or supplementation. And, there’s a program out there offering researched methods, shown to work.

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Also, the company and team behind Noom are so confident in their program; they’re offering a free trial offer .

Choosing the right weight-loss system can be confusing and often times frustrating. Let us help... Let us know a little more about you and your goals.

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Sports Research Questions & Answers Q&A

Sports Research is a company that sells supplements, sports apparel, and fitness gear with the aim of helping families improve their health by offering products of the highest quality while also being affordable.

Sports Research claims that their products are all backed by science, the ingredients are all high quality and tested for purity, and their products are priced to be affordable for families.

Sports Research produces many supplements and ingredients vary depending on product. All ingredients are rigorously tested for quality. If allergies are a concern be sure to check the label of specific product.

Depending upon the product taken, gastrointestinal upset and acne was reported by a few consumers. As with most supplements, the body has to get used to the change.

Consumer reviews for the various Sports Research products have been overwhelmingly positive.

Sports Research can be purchased using their Official Site .

The product can be found at the official website, Amazon, The Vitamin Shoppe, GNC and other vitamin and supplement shops.

Supplements in the form of a powder should be mixed in water (and in some cases can just be added to coffee or other food) and taken before a workout or meal, depending on the product.

Most gel caps are taken with a full glass of water and again, either before a workout or meal, depending on a product. Non-edibles should be used as directed. Directions for each product are clearly printed on labels.

Customer service contact information: Contact form: https://sportsresearch.com/pages/contact-us Address: 784 W Channel St #200 San Pedro, CA 90731-1412 Phone: (310) 519-1484 Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Yes. There is a 90 day money back guarantee on first time products bought through the official site, Amazon, GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe. Customer must pay shipping expense and have a valid receipt.

The most common complaint was how the product arrived after shipping, usually from third party sellers. To a lesser extent, there were complaints about the side effects caused by some of the products.

Sports Research products are not FDA approved, nor are they medically evaluated or certified by the FDA. However, all Sports Research products are tested in an FDA-approved lab to ensure they meet industry standards for quality and safety.

Other Sports Research supplements include Collagen Peptides (a powdered drink mix that aids in health of skin, joints, cartilage etc.), 3 varieties of MCT Oil (for energy), Tart Cherry Concentrate (supplies antioxidants & flavonoids).

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• https://noom.8utb.net/c/1720052/500038/8591
• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1904455/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18049988/
• https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-pedro/profile/health-products/sports-research-corp-1216-13136039
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4053034/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21936892
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9820262
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318611.php
• https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/1264.html
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262881.php
• https://casetext.com/case/capaci-v-sports-research-corp
• https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/closed-settlements/sports-research-corporation-class-action-settlement/
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RM1Z694N7S7Q3/
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Not impressed. Apparently they have products that are the “same but different” For instantce their Organic Elderberry gummies are sold at Costco . They are sugar coated and stick together HORRIBLY.. then they sell the same product from their website and it is much better. I have tried to get to the bottom of this and am very dissatisfied as we cant get the gummies out of the jar!! They responded once but have not returned any emails to me or my friend who was also filing a complaint. Not great customer service or quality!

Ive done everything you asked me to do to get my free bottle BUT now that the 15 days are up you sent a reminder so i filled out the sheet BUT it says i have to wait a few day to do what I’ve done already….what with this promotion ???

hi , can i knew the origin of the gelatin in the product ( fish, porc or others ..) ??

Hi Cherifa! The Gelatin Powder sold by Sports Research originates from beef.

I use SR Collagen peptides. I find it helps with my osteoarthritis, hair growth, stronger nails and my eczema flares less frequently. I switched to another brand once, I won’t do that again. This is the best!

I agree… It’s been great…

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Spartan Alert

Uncg applied sport psychology professor studies what motivates athletes.

Posted on May 23, 2024

In high school, Alan Chu was on the path to becoming a professional table tennis player when his motivation started to slip. He lost close matches at a junior national team trial. He was feeling the pressure of juggling academics with five sports.

Chu decided to give the sport one last shot by joining the City University of Hong Kong’s table tennis team. The experience changed his relationship with the game.

“To be honest, I thought I’d play for one or two months,” Chu says. “But then, I had a really supportive coach and team that kept me going.” He went on to captain the championship winning team.

Losing and rediscovering his motivation sparked Chu’s interest in helping other athletes – both through hands-on work and scholarly discovery. Now, he’s an associate professor of applied sports psychology in UNCG’s Department of Kinesiology with research centered on better understanding athlete motivation.

“After my own experience with sports, I became really curious about how different people in the environment impact athletes’ motivation,” he says. “I’m interested in the dynamics within the team and how a coach impacts the player.”

Identity matters, and not just the athlete’s

Growing up in Hong Kong, Chu says he had no problem fitting in. That changed when he moved to a new country.

“I came to the U.S. speaking English as a third language and not playing football or baseball. That journey gave me a different lens and a sense of what it’s like to be underrepresented as an ethnic minority in sport,” he says. “Now, I want to look at those layers and unpeel them as much as I can.”

Chu is researching how an athlete’s background may relate to their experience of their coach’s support – or lack thereof. In a recent study , he compared how Hispanic, Black, and White high school and college athletes perceived their sporting environment.

“There have been quite a few studies on this topic looking at gender and cultural differences from a qualitative standpoint, but they have not looked at the combination of these factors using a quantitative approach, which is crucial,” says Chu.

His findings contained some surprises: they showed that while Black males had the most negative perceptions of their coaching climate and satisfaction with their psychological needs, Black females had the most positive perceptions.

“When individuals have more than one marginalized identity, they tend to feel isolated and less supported,” Chu says “So, it was surprising that Black females had the most positive perceptions of their sports environments, which were mostly male-dominated spaces in this study.”

In future studies, Chu plans to explore how athletes from more backgrounds, including Asian, Indigenous and Native American athletes, perceive their coaches. He also hopes to conduct studies with larger samples and different types of colleges.

Moving forward, Chu suggests coaches take a nuanced and personalized approach to ensure athletes from all backgrounds feel supported in sports.

“Even though your coaching approach may work for 80 percent of your athletes, it doesn’t mean you should just stick with that approach,” he said. “There may be some athletes that need a different method, and you have to adapt.”

It’s not only coaches who affect the athlete.

Chu has also recently investigated the roles parents may play. He found that athletes perceived parents who had previously played sports as being more supportive in fostering their personal growth – and less focused on winning – compared to athletes whose parent didn’t play sports.

Winning the mind game

While Chu’s findings suggest many people play a key role in athletes’ motivations, he’s also curious about how an athlete’s own internal monologue can shape their motivation and performance – a topic Chu knows all too well.

“I tried out for the junior national team, and that was probably one of the most difficult moments in my sports journey,” he says. “I actually had a pretty good shot at it, but I got nervous and made mistakes. I was upset with myself, and of course, ended up losing more right after.”

Chu now studies how mindfulness and self-compassion can ground an athlete. When athletes make inevitable mistakes, how can they cultivate their own positive internal monologue and compassion to buoy them?

From research to the real world

As a Certified Mental Performance Consultant Chu puts his research – from mindfulness to fostering a supportive environment – into action. He trains athletes and shares evidence-based strategies.

He also teaches the next generation of athlete wellness professionals in UNCG classrooms. There, he finds new research leads and inspiration.

“The more I’m in this field, the more I’m stuck in my own way of doing things,” Chu says. “But then, students give me some creative tools and make it fun.”

Where his students land after UNCG also expands his understanding of the impact of his field. He says many of them begin working in the military after graduating: an environment where applied sport and performance psychology can make a big difference.

“Training helps athletes to be more confident and focused. In the military, that’s even more important because you have a smaller margin of error,” he says.

These skills can make a difference in everyday environments, too. He says undergraduates, whom he teaches in his Psychological Skills for Optimal Performance course, may even find it helpful in their activities off the court.

“These undergrads say that learning about sport psychology helps them with their anxiety about tests, presentations, and experiences in their daily life.”

Chu also applies his research to his own life every now and then while playing table tennis – now a hobby instead of a career.  

“My mental game is so strong now,” he says with a laugh.

Story by Rachel Damiani Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications

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Sports are supposed to be for all – but new research reveals just how few LGBTQI+ people play sport

Research fellow, Swinburne University of Technology

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Disclosure statement

Ryan Storr consults to Proud2Play. He receives funding from VicHealth. He is affiliated with Proud2Play.

Carleigh Yeomans consults to and conducts research for a number of organisation across Australia. Her research has received funding from organisations including VicHealth.

Kath Albury receives funding from the Australian Research Council, FORTE (the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, and VicHealth.

Swinburne University of Technology provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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The topic of homophobia in sport has recently made headlines in Australia, with a series of homophobic incidents involving men’s AFL players.

These homophobic incidents are usually well-reported in news media, but research has rarely explored the impact on participation for LGBTQI+ people.

Fresh research into the problem

Our new research is one of the first pieces of academic research in Australia to document how many LGBTQI+ people play and engage with sport. We also explored current levels of discrimination across sport in Australia, and the barriers and enablers of participation for young LGBTQI+ people.

Our research focused specifically on LGBTQI+ people aged 16-25 across community sport and movement settings (including gyms and leisure spaces), and was funded by VicHealth.

Previous research has shown young LGBTQI+ people are targeted with homophobia and transphobia in school and youth sport environments, and this affects them in several ways.

Specifically, it affects their mental health , with an increased risk of depression and anxiety, and forces them to drop out of sport – with many choosing to not play sport as adults.

The decline of LGBTQI+ youth participation

Our research showed 47% of LGBTQI+ youth were registered to a sports club between 2019 and 2022. Then, in 2023, just 33% of our sample said they currently participate in some form of competitive sport.

Comparable data from AusPlay show around 60% of young people across the broader population play sport.

Within different segments of the LGBTQI+ community, our data show just 31% of gay men and 29% lesbians play competitive sport, and even fewer within trans and gender diverse groups.

Therefore, our data support previous research from the United States that show young LGBTQI+ people engage with sport at half the rate of non-LGBTQI+ youth.

Trying to find a reason why

There is often much discussion within media about why there are very few openly gay men in professional sport. Our data highlight one of the reasons – gay men are less likely to play sport in the first place.

Some of the key barriers identified by participants were a lack of safe spaces, negative or traumatic early experiences, and discrimination.

Of those participants who do play sport, only 49% openly share their LGBTQI+ identity with teammates and coaches.

Ongoing discrimination is a key driver of why LGBTQI+ youth disengage from playing sport, and a reason why young people reported little-to-no sense of belonging within sports environments.

Some improvements seen but not for gay men

Overall, our research showed 53% of LGBTQI+ youth have witnessed discrimination (through homophobia, biphobia or other transphobia), and 40% have experienced discrimination.

These levels of discrimination show some marked improvement since the last major study in 2014 exploring homophobia in Australian sport, in which about 80% of respondents reported witnessing homophobia.

This suggests increased efforts to promote inclusion for LGBTQI+ people in sport is having a positive impact.

However, our data showed 76% of gay men have witnessed homophobia in sport, which shows little marked improvement in a decade.

Across our focus groups, young people spoke of negative early experiences in school sport, and the negative effects of ongoing debates related to LGBTQI+ issues in sport (such as trans athlete bans , or participation in pride games ).

Most striking across our focus groups was the desire for young people to be able to be themselves when playing sport and “just exist”.

The notion of having freedom and to not have their identity challenged, questioned, ridiculed or invalidated while navigating sporting spaces was discussed extensively.

Hopes for the future

Young people discussed the ways in which sport organisations could work towards making them feel safer and included.

They also had strong views towards pride efforts, raising issues with “ rainbow washing ”, a lack of engagement with LGBTQI+ communities, and minimal commitment to addressing discrimination.

One young person in our study expressed:

“I would like to see a little bit more effort, instead of chucking us in a box saying ‘it’s too difficult to work out’. ‘We’re going to include you’ would be a good next step. But I think a lot of work needs to be done to feel welcomed again.”

Our data show targeted efforts and programs are urgently needed to ensure sport and movement settings do not continue to cause harm and force LGBTQI+ youth to drop out from sport.

Additionally, the data raise significant challenges for the broader sport sector and its ongoing sustainability.

Every sport wants new players and fans, but the sport sector risks losing a whole generation of young people unless it fully commits to reducing and eradicating discrimination towards LGBTQI+ people.

This work should also complement and sit alongside other important work addressing gender-based violence , and work addressing backlash to feminism and gender equity among teenage boys in schools.

Sport organisations must take immediate steps to ensure their environments are fully inclusive of LGBTQI+ people.

This can be done through good policy development and effective implementation, anti-homophobia initiatives and campaigns, and engaging LGBTQI+ sport communities.

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Humanities scholars research free speech, AI, sports culture and the Supreme Court

By kathy hovis.

Elizabeth Rene ’24 has had an interest in the court system since her high school days watching “Law and Order,” but she became particularly attentive to what was going on in the Supreme Court when Donald Trump became president.

“It was the greatest attack on our democracy and a lot of students my age felt this,” she said. “We started seeing invalidations of landmark precedents, such as Roe vs. Wade, and you don’t see that happening very often in democracies, where you establish a constitutional precedent and then get rid of it.”

That curiosity to understand what was going on in the court, an institution that is supposed to be impartial, sparked Rene to focus on the court for her senior thesis in the  Humanities Scholars Program  (HSP). She presented her work, along with 34 other students at the HSP Spring Research Conference May 3 at the A.D. White House.

Read the full story on The College of Arts & Sciences website.

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Humanities scholars research free speech, AI, sports culture and the Supreme Court

Humanities Scholars Program

By | Kathy Hovis , A&S Communications

Elizabeth Rene ’24 has had an interest in the court system since her high school days watching “Law and Order,” but she became particularly attentive to what was going on in the Supreme Court when Donald Trump became president.

“It was the greatest attack on our democracy and a lot of students my age felt this,” she said. “We started seeing invalidations of landmark precedents, such as Roe vs. Wade, and you don’t see that happening very often in democracies, where you establish a constitutional precedent and then get rid of it.”

That curiosity to understand what was going on in the court, an institution that is supposed to be impartial, sparked Rene to focus on the court for her senior thesis in the Humanities Scholars Program (HSP). She presented her work, along with 34 other students at the HSP Spring Research Conference May 3 at the A.D. White House.

“This year’s HSP conference was spectacular. The range of topics covered, the diversity of approaches, and the level of mastery demonstrated by the students were inspiring,” said Lawrence B. Glickman , Stephen and Evalyn Milman Professor of American Studies in the Department of History and interim director of the Humanities Scholars Program. “So too was the support that their friends, classmates, and teachers demonstrated with their presence and their questions. It was a marvelous demonstration that humanistic scholarship at Cornell is thriving.” 

VerityPlatt , professor of classics, will take over as HSP director this fall. 

“It has been very exciting to see the HSP develop under the inspired leadership of Durba Ghosh and Larry Glickman into a dynamic program that nurtures undergraduate research in the humanities,” she said. “I am honored to be taking on this new role and look forward to working closely with the dedicated, creative, and inspiring students of the HSP.”

At the May event, students covered topics focused on countries around the globe and ranging from immigration, home care workers and female sports culture to the U.S.-China relationship, the repatriation of cultural objects and AI and literature.

Victoria Rinn ’24 used the resources of the Cornell Law Library, as well as an interview with her grandmother, as she compared the way legal language impacts identity politics and freedom of expression in China and Hong Kong.

“I've always been interested in the history of Hong Kong because my family escaped communist China—when Mao Zedong began persecuting the land-owning members of society—to Hong Kong not only because of the economic freedoms but also due to the larger degree of individual autonomy due to its colonial status,” she said. “Following the 2019 National Security Law protests in Hong Kong, I began to question the intersection between legislation and individual expression.”

Rinn, who plans to attend law school, said the research methods course offered to HSP students, as well as many of her classes in the China and Asia-Pacific Studies Program, were instrumental as she worked on her project.

“My government major seminar focused on China, Tibet and Xinjiang, thereby granting me the research tools necessary for my Humanities Scholars research topic,” she said. “Moreover, the Humanities Scholars Program granted me a cohort of intellectually-alike students who share a passion for the arts as I do.”

Ethan Kovnat ’24, a philosophy major, centered his work on autism and moral psychology, responding to a paper by philosopher Jeanette Kennett, who argued that since people with autism experience empathy in a different way, they cannot be considered “moral agents” under the traditional philosophical definition put forth by philosopher David Hume.

“I read this paper and thought ‘something doesn’t seem quite right,’ “ Kovnat said. “One of the things that I appreciate about Kennett is that she cites myriad psychological evidence to support her conception, but I encountered more recent literature and found empirical evidence that better reflected the actual experiences of autistic people. 

“I’m arguing that Hume’s conception of agency, slightly amended, is able to accommodate autistic moral agents.”

Kovnat said his HSP cohort provided a valuable network for peer review. “Whenever I wrote something, I had this community I could go to for advice and feedback,” he said.

Rene’s research project focused on two justices, Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia, and their different understandings of “originalism,” a way of interpreting the U.S. Constitution following how it would have been understood at the time it was written.

“Originalism rose as a theory after the conservative backlash following the Warren court,” Rene said, referring to the period between 1953-1969 when Earl Warren served as chief justice of the court and the court handled such landmark cases as Brown v. Board of Education, Plessy v. Ferguson and Miranda v. Arizona.

Rene studied five major cases that set precedent during the Warren court, including 15 others to better understand the actions and motivations of Thomas and Scalia.

“Clarence Thomas has a tendency to encourage the court to reverse a whole bunch of precedents set decades and decades ago,” she said. “My analysis consisted of looking back and forth at moments in history to see why that precedent was so important to be established in the first place and then looking at the modern era to see how it’s been threatened by the conservative supermajority on the court today.”

The conservatives on the court, Rene argues, claim that their opinions are neutral using originalism at their defense, but the numerous inconsistencies in the way these interpretations happen allow strong polarizations to impact the court’s decisions.

“Justices are always going to possess some degree of political bias, but the degree to which the supreme court is intertwined with other branches is a recent development,” she said. 

Her classes in constitutional law, along with a class taught by Alexander Livingston , associate professor of government and a member of the HSP Faculty Advisory Board, focused on W.E.B. DuBois and Martin Luther King, helped her craft her work, as they “taught me how to extrapolate someone’s writing, but also the background of the life they lived before writing that,” she said.

Rene said she also appreciated the close relationship she developed with her advisors because of HSP. 

“As HSP students, we were actively seeing our advisors, who were really making sure we were using all of the resources available to us,” she said.

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Sports Research Vegan Biotin 10,000mcg with Coconut Oil - Max Strength Biotin Vitamin B7 for Skin and Keratin Support - Non-GMO & Gluten Free, 120 Softgels (4 Month Supply)

30 Count (Pack of 1)

( $0.40 / Count )

120 Count (Pack of 1)

( $0.17 / Count )

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About this item.

• ENERGY PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Also known as Vitamin B7, Biotin plays an important role in metabolizing carbohydrates, fats & proteins. This once-a-day formula makes it easier to get the essential micronutrient*
• HEALTHY HAIR & SKIN: Healthy hair and skin require consistent keratin synthesis—the protein found in our cells. Our biotin supplements give you a chance to increase these production levels naturally, leading to results you can both see and feel*
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• PREMIUM, POTENT FORMULAS: Take your pick between our High Potency Biotin 2,500 mcg, Extra Strength Biotin 5,000 mcg, and Max Strength Biotin 10,000 mcg—all gluten-free, soy-free, and made with cold-pressed 100% organic coconut oil
• THE SPORTS RESEARCH DIFFERENCE: Founded in Southern California in 1980, Sports Research is a family-owned business born from a passion for fitness and wellness. Our goal is to embrace the sport of life through research-backed products created for every body—inside and out

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Product Description

Revitalize From The Inside Out

Biotin, also known as Vitamin B7, is one of the most important micronutrients in the human body. This essential B vitamin helps build the protein for healthy hair and skin.*

Extra Strength Biotin

Our extra strength formula offers 10,000 mcg of quality biotin per serving. If that’s not enough, opt for one of our premium potent formulas, like high potency or max strength biotin.

Biotin with Coconut Oil

Like all B vitamins, Biotin is water soluble, meaning the body doesn’t store it (or its nutrients) for long. Our Biotin is made with Organic Virgin Coconut Oil for a superior experience.*

Quality You Can Trust

Invest in a wellness regimen that contains only the best. Sports Research Biotin is vegan certified and encapsulated within the world’s only non-GMO Plantgel Capsule, free of bovine and carrageenan.

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Will this work for men as well? Will it help improve facial hair growth?

Our Biotin is for everyone! However, It does not necessarily promote hair growth in any one specific area of the body.

Why use Coconut Oil in your biotin?

You’ll find that, at Sports Research, we enhance many of our formulas by using Virgin Coconut Oil or Organic MCT Oil. We find it to be the most effective carrier to get the most benefit from the product.

Why are some softgels completely translucent in color and others are spotted white?

Our biotin contains coconut oil and can appear to have a clear, "cloudy" or semi-solid appearance at certain temperatures. If you place the softgels in the fridge you'll see most of them become completely solid as the coconut oil solidifies.

I’ve been taking this product for a month now and I still haven’t seen results. How long does it take to see changes?

We recommend you give the product about 60 days or so before determining if it is the right fit for you or not.

How many softgels can I consume each day?

We recommend taking one veggie softgel per day.

Product details

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 2.36 x 5.67 x 2.52 inches; 2.72 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ FG101
• Department ‏ : ‎ womens
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ February 3, 2015
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Sports Research
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00T56FQAE
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• #5 in Vitamin B7 (Biotin) Supplements

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Important information

Safety information.

ALLERGEN WARNING:Contains Tree Nuts (Coconut). Keep out of reach of children and pets. Consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to using this product, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, have diagnosed medical conditions, or are taking prescription medications. Do not exceed recommended daily intake. Do not use if safety seal is damaged or missing.

Indications

This product contains a high dosage of Biotin and may cause stomach discomfort for some. Check with you doctor before using this product, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, have existing medical conditions or are taking prescription medications. Do not exceed recommended daily intake. Store at room temperature, tightly closed.

Ingredients

Biotin (as d-Biotin USP), Organic virgin coconut oil, Plantgel™ capsule (non-GMO modified tapioca starch, vegetable glycerin, purified water), rice bran wax., CONTAINS: Tree nuts (coconut).

As a Dietary Supplement take 1 Liquid Veggie Softgel daily with a meal or as directed by a healthcare professional

Legal Disclaimer

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

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Customer reviews.

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the hair growth, durability, effect on hair, appearance, and ease of swallowing of the vitamin. They mention that it works wonders, it's easy to take, and that it has a nice luster.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers are satisfied with the quality of the vitamin. They mention it works well, is more effective than other brands, and is satisfied with its results. Some customers also say the product is good value for the price.

"...I just started taking the Multi collagen about a week ago. No reactions to it !! I’m very sensitive to what I take...." Read more

"I love Sports Reseach products. They never disappoint . I've been taking these for years. I love them and they help my hair...." Read more

"...It feels healthier and fuller . I would have to warn that if you're going after the 10,000 mcg, it can cause breakouts...." Read more

" Actually see results and not made with nefarious ingredients! Nails seem better, also hair!..." Read more

Customers are satisfied with the durability of the vitamin. They mention that it helps maintain their hair and nails. Some say that their nails are stronger and faster growing after using the product.

"It’s been three weeks and I can see my nails have grown out and are stronger ...." Read more

"My nails are much better after taking these and they last a long time. Easy to swallow...." Read more

"...a review to make sure the pills were working and they are.... my nails are strong and not chipping and looking great very happy with this product and..." Read more

"I take these every day and I have a significant change in my hair and nails " Read more

Customers have reported that the vitamin has helped them to see tons of hair growth, and their nails are growing like crazy. They also say that it helps to start growing their hair again and fix their problems with dry cracked fingernails.

"It’s been three weeks and I can see my nails have grown out and are stronger...." Read more

"Actually see results and not made with nefarious ingredients! Nails seem better , also hair!..." Read more

"...To be honest, I do think it works. I think it did help my hair grow more when I was taking it.I might rebuy and start taking it again." Read more

"I have used this for years. Really makes your hair grow super fast !!! Have taken it consistently for 6 years. Will always take it." Read more

Customers are satisfied with the effect of the vitamin on their hair. They say it helps to prevent further hair loss, and it naturally helps to regrow hair. Some customers also mention that their hair is fuller and grows faster.

"...I've been taking these for years. I love them and they help my hair . The size of the gel caps are like little footballs. They are cute!" Read more

"...It feels healthier and fuller. I would have to warn that if you're going after the 10,000 mcg, it can cause breakouts...." Read more

"...Within about 2 months, I have noticed a lot less hair coming out when washing it. Nothing else changed in my lifestyle except taking this Biotin...." Read more

"...I have a dry skin issue. This helps my skin , my hair, and my nails. All have improved while taking this one small capsule per day...." Read more

Customers find the vitamins easy to swallow. They say the pills are small and easy to digest. Some customers also mention that the gummies are pleasant to take.

"... Easy to swallow . I’ve taken a few biotin’s and this has by far been my favorite. I’ll get these again for sure." Read more

"...At least the pills are not hard to swallow , and they are tasteless." Read more

"...The pills don’t taste like anything which are great and are easy to swallow !" Read more

"...Like, we’ll be customers for life. These lil pills are incredibly easy to swallow , no aftertaste whatsoever. They’re just….well….easy...." Read more

Customers say the vitamin makes their hair thicker, stronger, and healthier. They also mention that it makes their lashes and hair longer and thicker.

"...now and while I haven't noticed much length, the quality of my hair has improved drastically ...." Read more

"...Since I have started taking this formulation of biotin, my hair is beginning to thicken and is below my shoulders." Read more

"Non taste non stickiness good value helped hair grow fast and thicker " Read more

"...taking this now for almost 6 months, and I believe that my fine hair is getting stronger as I let it grow." Read more

Customers find the size of the vitamin to be super small and easy to swallow. They also say the gel caplet is tiny and easy.

"The size of the vitamin is perfect it’s not big. I toss a lot of vitamins because they’re to big for me...." Read more

"... Nice tiny pill very to swallow , no flavor and nice "gel" cap." Read more

"...They look more abundant and a slightly longer . I am nearly 50, have had children and gone thru a lot of hormonal changes, which can change your hair...." Read more

"The size is perfect , I’ve only been taking it for a few weeks so I’m not seeing results yet but I’m sure with time it will happen!" Read more

Customers are happy with the appearance of their hair, nails, and skin. They say it has a wonderful luster, their hair is getting thicker, and their overall appearance is brighter. They also like the color and feel that there is real coconut in it.

"...The size of the gel caps are like little footballs. They are cute !" Read more

"...working and they are....my nails are strong and not chipping and looking great very happy with this product and will be purchasing it again...." Read more

" Nice bottle . Tasteless. Came as described. Didn't work for me but may help you!" Read more

"...They look more abundant and a slightly longer. I am nearly 50, have had children and gone thru a lot of hormonal changes, which can change your hair...." Read more

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Disclaimer : While we work to ensure that product information is correct, on occasion manufacturers may alter their ingredient lists. Actual product packaging and materials may contain more and/or different information than that shown on our Web site. We recommend that you do not solely rely on the information presented and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. For additional information about a product, please contact the manufacturer. Content on this site is for reference purposes and is not intended to substitute for advice given by a physician, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional. You should not use this information as self-diagnosis or for treating a health problem or disease. Contact your health-care provider immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Amazon.com assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products.

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Selling sketches for cancer research.

SKETCHES FOR A CAUSE — St. Clairsville resident Robert Makofsky has had three types of cancer within a decade’s time. His love for drawing has led him to create sketches he is selling, with the proceeds to go to the Columbus cancer center which treated him. Makofsky’s sketches are being sold at the Antique Warehouse, located at 322 Market St. The company’s employee, Kim Marracino, is among those who can assist anyone asking to see the sketches. -- Julie Stenger

STEUBENVILLE — As a child, Robert Makofsky sketched for the sheer enjoyment of the art form. Today, he draws in the hopes he can raise money for cancer research.

The St. Clairsville resident is selling his artistic pieces for $20 each, and they are available at the Antique Warehouse, located at 322 Market St., during hours of operation, and at Print and Copy, located at 140 N. Marietta St. in St. Clairsville from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays.

So why is he selling his art and not taking even a dollar for himself?

His answer is simple: This is his story.

Makofsky went to his physician for a physical in 2012, after which he was told they wanted to take a closer look at his blood cells. Following three months of testing, Makofsky was told he had two types of cancer — mantle cell lymphoma and bladder cancer. He had been referred to the Tony Teramana Cancer Center at Trinity Medical Center West in Steubenville.

He explained his son lives in Columbus and wanted him to get treatment there at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. The center is part of Ohio State University and is one of 45 national comprehensive cancer hospitals.

Makofsky took his son’s advice and remained in Columbus for 13 months. He entered the hospital for treatment in September 2012 and was released to return home in October 2013.

During his hospital stay, his daughter would bring him materials including sketch pads and pencils so he could spend his time doing something that brought him happiness.

And draw he did. Makofsky said he sketched more than 200 drawings during that period.

He expressed his appreciation to the center’s staff, saying they were extremely kind, and added the medical attention he received was “wonderful,” as they are “one of the best.”

The care he received has made him want to give something back. So, for every sketch that sells for $20, $10 goes to the Columbus hospital for research. Afterward, $9 goes back into his supplies and covering the cost of sketch pads, pencils and any other items required. The remaining $1 goes into his logo — the word “Sketches” that is drawn onto his business cards.

Makofsky said about three months ago, he began having problems swallowing. He was soon diagnosed as having throat cancer, which he believes stems from having had lymphoma.

He is back at the Teramana Cancer Center once a week, sometimes spending 12 or more hours of the day there for his weekly treatment.

Prior to having three types of cancer within a decade, Makofsky served as president of the American Cancer Society in its former Steubenville office. He held the position for four years, learning a large amount of information.

Since having to actually go through the chemotherapy treatments and living with all of the side effects and the toll they take on his body, he has learned a great deal more about the subject.

He pointed out there is a different color which is symbolic for each of the 18 cancers. He noted throat cancer’s color is brown, while lymphoma’s color is yellow.

“There are 18 of them,” Makofsky stated. “And if we can eliminate one … just one, it will be worth all of the effort.”

“I appreciate this opportunity to have my pictures out there for sale to help raise money for cancer research,” he said.

Anyone interested in purchasing one of the 20 various sketches at the cost of $20 apiece, can visit the Antique Warehouse or Print and Copy. Each print is framed and has the name of the drawing and Makofsky’s signature on the back, as well as the logo.

With each purchase, a card can be completed with the purchaser’s name and address so the cancer center can send a thank-you note for contributing to its research.

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City Graduate Offered NSF Research Fellowship

Elyse Jones, a 2019 Jamestown High School graduate and 2023 University of Rochester graduate, is pictured.

Elyse Jones, daughter of David and Michele Jones of Jamestown, a 2019 Jamestown High School graduate and 2023 University of Rochester graduate is pursuing her PhD in aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

She has been offered a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Launched in 1952 shortly after Congress established NSF, the Graduate Research Fellowship program represents the nation’s oldest continuous investment in the U.S. scientific workforce. The program recruits high-potential, early-career researchers and supports their graduate training in science, technology, social science, engineering, mathematics, and STEM education.

Awardees receive three years of support. Support includes a $37,000 annual stipend, a $16,000 cost-of-education allowance that covers tuition and fees, and access to the INTERN program, which supports research internships in any sector of the U.S. economy. Fellows also have access to NSF’s Career-Life Balance initiative.

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