Towards Reflexivity: Observing the Estimation of Replicability of Sports and Exercise Science Research

With the replication project by Murphy et al. [ 1 ], sports and exercise science now has, for the first time, a coordinated and empirically broad assessment of the replicability of central research findings. The study replicates 25 statistically significant results from Q1 journals (publications 2016–21) and arrives—depending on the criteria set—at sobering conclusions. Only 7 of 25 studies (28%) qualify as “robustly replicable,” meaning that the replication was statistically significant ( p < 0.05), in the same direction, and showed effect sizes compatible with the original.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Sports Medicine
Published
2026-10-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-026-02551-z
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.78
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Towards Reflexivity: Observing the Estimation of Replicability of Sports and Exercise Science Research

Swen Körner, Mario S. Staller
1 citations
Sports Medicine
Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
4.78
article

Towards Reflexivity: Observing the Estimation of Replicability of Sports and Exercise Science Research

Swen Körner, Mario S. Staller
article en
1 citations

Abstract

With the replication project by Murphy et al. [ 1 ], sports and exercise science now has, for the first time, a coordinated and empirically broad assessment of the replicability of central research findings. The study replicates 25 statistically significant results from Q1 journals (publications 2016–21) and arrives—depending on the criteria set—at sobering conclusions. Only 7 of 25 studies (28%) qualify as “robustly replicable,” meaning that the replication was statistically significant ( p < 0.05), in the same direction, and showed effect sizes compatible with the original.

Sports Medicine
German Sport University Cologne (DE), Hochschule für Polizei und Öffentliche Verwaltung Nordrhein-Westfalen (DE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
4.78
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Laika access coming soon