Replication project now complete!
Replication Study FindingsThe Sports Science Replication Centre’s landmark study is now complete!
The first large-scale collaborative replication project in sports and exercise science has concluded with significant findings published in Sports Medicine (June 16, 2025).
Key Findings
Study Overview: 25 replication studies were analyzed to assess the replicability of applied sports and exercise science research published in quartile 1 journals between 2016 and 2021.
Results:
- Only 28% (7 out of 25) studies demonstrated robust replicability, meeting all three validation criteria
- The replication studies used paired t-tests (10), independent t-tests (1), and ANOVA (14)
- Effect sizes decreased substantially when replicated—an average drop of ~75%
- Statistical significance was achieved in the same direction as original studies for the successfully replicated studies
Important Implications
The substantial decrease in published effect size estimates when replicated highlights the critical importance for sports and exercise science researchers to consider effect size uncertainty when conducting subsequent power analyses.
Challenges Identified
The replication effort faced significant barriers including:
- Poor communication with original authors
- Limited data availability and transparency
- Inadequate reporting practices
Read the full publication: Estimating the Replicability of Sports and Exercise Science Research
Authors: Jennifer Murphy, Aaron R. Caldwell, Cristian Mesquida, and 76 additional collaborators
Journal: Sports Medicine | Volume 55 | Pages 2659–2679 | 2025
