Sports physiology covers a range of disciplines and therefore a number of societies may be applicable:

To become a sports physiologist a person must have completed university studies (an undergraduate degree followed by a postgraduate degree, such as honours, masters or PhD) in Exercise Science, Human Movement, Sport Science, Physical Education or a related field. Numerous Australian universities offer courses in the field of physiology, exercise science or sport science. ESSA estimates that 3,000 exercise and sports science students graduate each year.

Sports physiologists can practice in a variety of settings and may work as permanent employees, consultants, be self-employed, occupational trainees, or volunteers. In Australia, the majority of sports physiologists are associated with National Institute Network (NIN) institutions, national sporting organisations (NSOs), and/or professional sporting teams.

Often, sports physiologists work in a collaborative manner with other specialists to provide coaching staff with relevant evidence-based support to foster athlete development and enhance athletic performance. Specialist practitioners who work along with sports physiologists may include nutritionists, biomechanists, performance analysts, psychologists, skill acquisition specialists, doctors, or physiotherapists. Collectively, the group is known as a team of ‘sport scientists’. In 2012, Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA), estimated that there were 400 people working as professional sports scientists in Australia; however, only twenty sports scientists chose to be nationally accredited through ESSA’s program.

• Profiling the Australian High Performance and Sports Science Workforce, executive summary or full report, Centre of Exercise and Sports Science (C-ESS), Deakin University, funded by ESSA, (December 2013).
• Being an elite sports scientist: a balancing act? Thompson KG, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, Volume 5(1), pp.1-2, (2010).

In February 2013, the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) published a report on Organised Crime and Drugs in Sport, which revealed that, among other staff, ‘sports scientists’ had condoned and/or orchestrated the administration of prohibited and not-yet-approved substances to athletes. As such, the controversial practice by ‘pseudo-science’ practitioners thrust the practice of ‘sport science’ in Australia into the spotlight. A senate enquiry which followed into the Practice of Sport Science in Australia (July, 2013, Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Australian Government) revealed a lack of consensus on the precise definition of what constitutes a ‘sports scientist’. This prompted ESSA, the only nationally recognised organisation for exercise and sport science, to call upon the federal government and major sporting codes to agree to a national regulatory body to oversee accreditations to avoid future issues surrounding banned substances.

The Profiling the Australian High Performance and Sports Science Workforce report gives valuable insight about the scope of the profession. Of the 400 personnel estimated to be working in the sector, 210 completed the survey. As such, the report was able to generalise the findings about the characteristics and issues of personnel working in the Australian high performance and sport science workforce. Key recommendations listed in the report included: 1) the agreement of a definition of a sport scientist and their scope of practice, with a draft definition proposed, 2) the establishment of a national registration and accreditation scheme for the High Performance and Sport Science profession, commissioned by ESSA, 3) increase the rate of training in ethical practice in the profession, overseen by ESSA, 4) increasing opportunities for relevant professional development, facilitated or provided by ESSA, 5) improvement in organisational human resource practices, 6) future research to ensure appropriate industry decision making related to the profession.

• Sports scientists must be accredited: Nisbett. Schmook N, afl.com.au, 8 February 2013.
• Sports Science: time for proper accreditation. Thompson K, The Conversation, 13 February 2013.
• Sports back regulation of scientists. Pierik J, Baum G, The Age, 12 June 2013.