Table 4 Rankings for each group for perceptions of the utility of blood tests if they had been shown to be not useful in leading to a diagnosis.
| Benefit | Athletes | Coaches | SSSM staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reassure that there is no serious problem | 1 | – | – |
| No answer | 1 | 1 | – |
| General reassurance/psychological | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Reassure that iron level is OK | 4 | – | – |
| Reassure that diet is adequate | 5 | – | – |
| Excludes/diagnoses some problems | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Tests general well‐being | – | 3 | – |
| Convince athletes that they are OK | – | – | 3 |
| Placebo effect | – | – | 4 |
SSSM, sports science and sports medicine.