Footnotes

• Twitter @jonpatricios, @SportswiseUK

• Contributors JP and NW conceived the concept of the editorial. JP developed the article framework and drafted the original version of the manuscript after JP and NW had reviewed the appropriate literature, and both contributed relevant content and references. NW edited the manuscript through three iterations. Both authors assessed the reviewers’ comments, drafted the responses and edited the manuscript for resubmission.

• Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

• Competing interests JP is an editor of BJSM and receives an honorarium from BMJ.

• Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.