Research summary · Sport psychology
Reducing performance-enhancing substance risk in gyms
A cluster-randomised study examines whether a prevention intervention changes booster use and risk acceptance across psychosocial profiles in recreational fitness settings.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Cluster-randomised prevention study
- Journal
- Psychology of Sport and Exercise
- Population / context
- Recreational fitness athletes · Ten German gyms
What the publication reports
Data from 602 athletes across ten gyms showed lower odds of booster use in the intervention group (OR 0.58), with a 6.65-point absolute difference; the primary comparison narrowly missed conventional statistical significance (p = .052). Risk acceptance changed more among motivationally ambivalent profiles.
Limits and interpretation
The booster-use estimate was borderline, profile and mediation analyses are vulnerable to multiplicity and causal mechanism claims remain tentative.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Understanding risk acceptance in performance enhancing substance use: A cluster randomized prevention study among recreational fitness athletes
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42679975DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103255Reader discussion
Discuss the evidence.
Ask a question, share a source or discuss the methods. Respectful disagreement is welcome. Every comment and reply is reviewed before publication.
Loading comments…