Abstract
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) can be regarded as gold standard in investigating dose-response and causal relationships in exercise science. Recommendations for exercise training routines and efficacy analyses of certain training regimen require valid data derived from robust RCTs. Moreover, meta-analyses rely on RCTs and both RCTs and meta-analyses are considered the highest level of scientific evidence. Beyond general study design a variety of methodological aspects and notable pitfalls has to be considered. Therefore, exercise training studies should be carefully constructed focusing on the consistency of the whole design “package” from an explicit hypothesis or research question over study design and methodology to data analysis and interpretation. The present scoping review covers all main aspects of planning, conducting, and analyzing exercise based RCTs. We aim to focus on relevant aspects regarding study design, statistical power, training planning and documentation as well as traditional and recent statistical approaches. We intend to provide a comprehensive hands-on paper for conceptualizing future exercise training studies and hope to stimulate and encourage researchers to conduct sound and valid RCTs in the field of exercise training.
Highlights
The principal study types available for investigating the effects of exercise training range from retrospective epidemiological and cross-sectional research to prospective controlled exercise training trials
Longitudinal designs with at least two groups, two repeated measures and a randomized allocation of participants are basically required for many research questions
Researchers are faced with various conceptual challenges and pitfalls including characteristics of the interventional approach and control condition, reliable and valid outcome measures, study population and sample size as well as the statistical approach for data analysis
Summary
The principal study types available for investigating the effects of exercise training range from retrospective epidemiological and cross-sectional research to prospective controlled exercise training trials. Researchers are faced with various conceptual challenges and pitfalls including characteristics of the interventional approach and control condition (e.g., inactive control, work matched control conditions, treatment as usual, social gathering etc.), reliable and valid outcome measures, study population and sample size as well as the statistical approach for data analysis. These aspects are tightly interconnected and have to fit with one another. The whole study “package” has to be thoroughly constructed and outlined prior to the start
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