Ethical and Legal Analysis of Human-Animal Exercise Physiological Research: A Narrative Review
akhlāq-i pizishkī i.e., Medical Ethics,
Vol. 19 (1404),
25 September 2025
,
Page 1-13
https://doi.org/10.22037/mej.v19i-.50631
Abstract
Background and Aim: Sports physiological research that simultaneously involves human participants and animal models plays a critical role in elucidating metabolic, cardiovascular and neural adaptations to physical activity. Due to their inherently interventional nature - particularly when employing high-intensity or prolonged training protocols - such studies face distinctive ethical and legal challenges that extend beyond general bioethical considerations. The aim of the present study was to conduct a narrative review and ethical - legal analysis of these challenges within the field of sports sciences, emphasizing the necessity of adopting a sport-specific (sports-oriented) approach to research ethics - one that contextualizes ethical requirements in light of the unique characteristics of the sporting environment, performance-driven pressures and its professional structures.
Methods: This study employed a narrative review design. Relevant Persian and English-language sources were identified through systematic searches of international databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect, as well as Persian databases (SID and Magiran). In addition, Google Scholar was used as a scientific search engine to supplement the search. The search covered publications from 2015 to 2024. Study selection followed the general stages outlined in the PRISMA flow diagram.
Ethical Considerations: To ensure the validity and credibility of the review, only studies meeting predefined inclusion criteria and published in reputable scientific sources were considered.
Results: Of the 212 records initially identified, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were ultimately included in the narrative analysis. The findings indicate that in human-based sports research, informed consent, athlete vulnerability and the assessment of scientific benefits relative to potential risks constitute the primary ethical challenges. In animal-based research, the practical implementation of the 3Rs principles, animal welfare and the quality of reporting emerged as central ethical concerns. Furthermore, international policy documents and ethical guidelines - such as the Declaration of Helsinki and the European Union Directive 2010/63/EU - provide general ethical frameworks but do not adequately address the specific complexities inherent in human - animal sports research.
Conclusion: This narrative review demonstrates that research ethics in sports science requires a dedicated, sport-specific ethical framework. Strengthening ethical oversight by research ethics committees, enhancing researcher education regarding the 3Rs principles and redefining informed consent within the sporting context are essential measures for improving both the ethical integrity and scientific quality of human - animal sports physiology research.
- Bioethics
- Research in Sports Physiology
- 3Rs Principles
- Declaration of Helsinki
- Research Ethics
How to Cite
References
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