Microdosing: Old Wine in a New Bottle? Current State of Affairs and Future Avenues.
José Afonso, F. Nakamura, Ivan Baptista, Gonçalo Rendeiro-Pinho, João Brito, Pedro Figueiredo
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance October 6, 2022 DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2022-0291 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Microdosing |
| Key points | Proposes that exercise microdosing should be reframed as the minimal dose that develops or maintains capacities or skills, distinct from the broader concept of distributed practice. |
Abstract
Purpose: Microdosing of exercise aims to deliver smaller daily training doses but at a higher weekly frequency, adding up to a similar weekly volume as in nonmicrodosed training. This commentary critically discusses this concept, which appears to be a rebranding of the "old" distributed practice of motor learning. DEVELOPMENT We propose that microdosing should relate to the minimal dose that develops or at least maintains the selected capacities or skills as this training dose matters to practitioners, especially during the in-season period. Moreover, microdosing has been applied mainly to develop strength and endurance, but abilities such as sprinting and changing direction could also be microdosed, as well as technical-tactical skills.
Conclusions: The concept of microdosing should be reframed to avoid redundancy with the concept of distributed practice while providing valuable information concerning the minimum doses that still generate the intended effects and the thresholds that determine whether a dose is "micro" or not.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positron emission tomography microdosing: a new concept with application in tracer and early clinical drug development | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Set and setting in microdosing: an oft-overlooked principle. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psilocybin Microdosing Schedules, 5-HT2A Adaptation, and the Age-Dependent Cortical State: From Intermittent to Continuous Exposure | 2026 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Daily Psilocybin Microdosing as a Receptor-Adaptation Paradigm: A Testable 5-HT2A Down-Regulation Hypothesis | 2026 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| It’s all about the relationship: The caregiver experience of supporting a person with advanced cancer going through an LSD microdosing trial Caregivers of advanced cancer patients in an LSD microdosing trial | 2026 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Microdosing Plyometric Training Enhances Jumping Performance, Reactive Strength Index, and Acceleration among Youth Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Study Design. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine June 1, 2024
- Microdosing of Flywheel Training: Effects of Low Versus High Training Frequency on Muscle Mass, Strength, and Power. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance May 4, 2026
- Microdosing: A Conceptual Framework for use as Programming Strategy for Resistance Training in Team Sports Strength & Conditioning Journal June 15, 2023