A sports physiologist performs a very broad range of tasks which contribute to the performance of an individual or team of athletes in a particular sport. Broadly speaking, a sports physiologist is responsible for performing the following scientific functions:

• Identify and quantify an athlete’s physical and physiological characteristics in a laboratory or field setting
• Establish the physiological and performance demands of competition
• Interpret routine fitness tests for individuals and teams
• Determine and implement effective interventions (e.g., training, dietary, recovery, environmental, technological) that can positively alter physiological responses to improve sports performance
• Training program design and planning
• Modelling and monitoring training sessions or performance to accurately quantify physical load/stress placed on athletes
• Maintain, evaluate and develop sport technology and scientific equipment
• Educate and provide relevant advice to athletes, coaches, peers and students
• Travel with athletes and teams to training camps or competitions
• Conduct applied research projects to enhance sports performance
• Presentation and reporting of testing and research outcomes

On a daily basis, these activities might require specific knowledge and skills to perform the following activities including, but not limited to:

• Using ergometers, stopwatches, blood gas analysers, spirometers, ultrasound devices, heart-rate monitors
• Performing venepuncture, carbon monoxide rebreathing, submaximal and progressive maximal tests, skeletal muscle biopsies, anthropometry, equipment calibration and validation
• Sampling expired gasses, blood, sweat, saliva, skeletal muscle, faeces
• Measuring heart rate, haemoglobin mass, body temperature, subjective ratings of effort, blood gasses and metabolites, running speed, jump height, skinfold thickness, power output, urine specific gravity, immune function
• Determining maximal oxygen uptake, lactate threshold, body composition, running economy

Due to the diverse nature of the discipline of sports physiology a number of sub-disciplines are evident:

• Altitude training
• Exercise in the heat (thermoregulation)
• Biochemistry and haematology
• Immunology
• Performance recovery
• Tapering
• Talent Identification
• Anthropometry
• Smart sensors and devices

• Altitude Camp Planner & Altitude Camp Menu (2014) [Infographics]. Dr Laura Garvican-Lewis, Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Canberra / Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

Australia

• Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA) is a professional organisation which is committed to establishing, promoting and defending the career paths of tertiary trained exercise and sports science practitioners. Exercise physiology accreditation is available from ESSA to those professionals working in a clinical setting. ESSA requires accredited exercise physiologists (AEPs) to maintain their accreditation through continuing professional development. ESSA offers both membership (across seven categories) and accreditation. In 2012, ESSA was reported as having 6,199 members (source: Page 10, 2013 Senate Enquiry: Practice of Sports Science in Australia, Commonwealth of Australia).
• • National University Course Accreditation Program. ESSA accredits higher education courses that have met the association’s high quality standards for accreditation through its National University Course Accreditation Program (NUCAP). The primary objective of NUCAP is to provide higher education academic units with a framework to build courses of excellence in exercise and sports science to ensure that graduate outcomes are aligned with industry requirements.
• Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) is a national multidisciplinary organisation committed to enhancing the health of all Australians through safe participation in sport and physical activity.
• Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) is the professional association advocating for quality health & physical education curriculum, supporting professional learning of teachers and promoting active and healthy lifestyles for all Australians. 

International

• European College of Sport Science (ECSS) is an international non-profit organisation with the purpose of promoting science and research, with special attention to the interdisciplinary fields of sport science and sports medicine.
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is an association of sports medicine, exercise science, and health and fitness professionals and is dedicated to helping people worldwide live longer, healthier lives.
• British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) is the professional body for sport and exercise sciences in the United Kingdom. The vision of BASES is to lead excellence in sport and exercise science through evidence-based practice in Physiology, biomechanics and psychology disciplines.
• International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education is the world’s largest network of organisations and institutions concerned with sport, sport science and physical education, accounting for millions of people. By fostering sport, exercise, education and health, ICSSPE contributes to the development of human society. The organisation operates with the intention to 1) investigate for a better scientific understanding of all facets of human movement; 2) educate for a better quality of life and improved health for all people; and, 3) advocate for the benefits related to an active lifestyle and the ethical values inherent in sporting activity.

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.

Unlike other specialist experts who practice in Australia, such as a doctor, psychologist or dietitian, there is currently no official requirement for a sports physiologist to be registered or accredited with a national professional organisation. Sports physiologists can practice in a variety of settings and may work as permanent employees, consultants, be self-employed, occupational trainees and volunteers. In Australia, the majority of sports physiologists are associated with State Institutes of Sport and State Academies of Sport (SIS/SAS), national sporting organisations (NSOs) and professional sporting teams.

• Being an elite sports scientist: a balancing act? Thompson KG, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2010, 5(1), 1-2.

Often, sports physiologists work in a collaborative manner with other specialists to provide coaching staff 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 [source: Profiling the Australian High Performance and Sports Science Workforce, executive summary (PDF File – 831 KB) or full report (PDF File – 3.4 MB), undertaken by the Centre of Exercise and Sports Science (C-ESS), Deakin University, funded by ESSA, December 2013]; however, only twenty sports scientists chose to be nationally accredited through ESSA’s program.

• 'Dodgy' scientists outside the rules of medicine. Morton R, The Australian, 8 February 2013, p.4.

To put this into a broader perspective, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that 95,590 people were employed in sport and recreation occupations, with the greatest number working as Fitness Instructors (21,514), in the latest Census on Employment in Sport and Recreations, Australia (catalogue number 4148.0, August 2011).      

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.

Research conducted into Profiling the Australian High Performance and Sports Science Workforce (referenced above) gives valuable insight about the scope of the profession to enable further development of strategic plans for the industry. Of the 400 personnel estimated to be working in the sector, 210 of these people 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 called for: 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.

The National Sport Science Quality Assurance Program is an initiative of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and a program of AIS Performance Support services. The main aim is to promote continuous improvement in sports science testing standards in Australia and to help sports science programs involved in the assessment of athletes to establish and maintain an environment of national standard. They work with the AIS and state and territory institutes and academies of sport to monitor quality assurance issues, and work with sports scientists to critically evaluate all aspects of laboratory/facility function likely to affect the reliability and accuracy of test results. NSSQA offers accreditation programs for Exercise Physiology Laboratories. The quality assurance program was initiated, and continue to be guided by sports scientists working in Australian laboratories and facilities.

National Sport Science Quality Assurance (NSSQA) accreditation requirements and information, test protocols, reliability data.

Reports

• ASC NSRC - Physiology

Books

• Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes (Second edition). Tanner R, Gore C, Champaign, Illinois, USA, Human Kinetics, 2013.
• Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes. Gore CJ, Champaign, Illinois, USA, Human Kinetics, 2000.

Electronic journals

• Ascta Physiologica Scandanavica
• American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism
• American Journal of Sports Medicine
• British Journal of Sports Medicine
• European Journal of Applied Physiology
• Exercise and Immunology Review
• Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews
• High Altitude Medicine and Biology
• International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
• Journal of Applied Physiology
• Journal of Experimental Biology
• Journal of Physiology
• Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
• Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
• Sports Medicine
• Physiological Reviews

Online Resources

• Exercise Physiology (Wikipedia)

Policy, position stands and relevant reports

• The value of Accredited Exercise Physiologists to Consumers in Australia (PDF File – 964 KB). Deloitte Access Economics Report for Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA), November 2016. This report estimates the value of accredited exercise physiologists from the perspective of consumers in Australia. Focus is on cost to benefit rations for Australian consumers with specific health conditions including: depression, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Full Report and Infographic overview (PDF File – 56 KB) available. 
• Declaration of Helsinki: ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. World Medical Association (WMA) - Adopted by the 18th WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, June 1964, recently amended at the 64th WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013. The policy statement of ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects, including research on identifiable human material and data.   

Clearinghouse Videos

• Latest Altitude Training Ideas for Team Sports, Dr Olivier Girard, Research Scientist (Altitude), Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Smart Talk Seminar Series (7 December 2017)
• Sport Performance, Heat and the Brain, Professor Romain Meeusen, Head of Human Physiology Research Group, Vrije University, Brussels, Smart Talk Seminar Series (24 November 2017)
• Periodisation and Altitude Exposure – Current Best Practice with Practical Examples, Dr Philo Saunders, Senior Physiologist, AIS, Smart Talk Seminar Series (10 April 2017)
  
• P-values: Are you confused as everyone?, Dr Marijke Welvaert – AIS / UC Jointly Appointed Statistician, AIS Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (16 May 2016)
• Sweet science of boxing at AIS Combat Centre, YouTube, (9 May 2016). See how the AIS is conducting a scientific study to see how punching power is affected by fatigue. The video features the AIS Combat Centre and sport scientists Emily Dunn and Clare Humberstone.
• Monitoring Athlete Training Loads: what does that even mean? Feedback from the 2nd ASPIRE Sports Science Conference in Qatar, Dr Sally Clark – AIS Physiology, Ben Raysmith – AIS Physical Therapies and Mick Drew – AIS Physical Therapies, Avish Sharma - AIS PhD Scholar, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (20 April 2016)
• Silent Contributors to Injury - Illness - Performance, SMA & AIS Symposium, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (18-19 March 2016) 
• Improving the Physical Preparation of Female Sevens Players. Anthea Clarke, AIS, UC and ARU PhD Scholar, SmartTalk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (8 February 2016)
• The two-hour marathon: Is it possible?, Dr Michael J Joyner, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, United States of America, Smart Talk Seminar Series (1 December 2015)
• Threats to Internal Validity in Exercise Science: A Review of Overlooked Confounding Variables, Israel Halperin, PhD candidate, Edith Cowan University / AIS Combat Centre, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (29 September 2015)
• Influence of Biological and Technical Variability on Physique Assessment Methods, Ava Kerr, Manager of Health, Sport and Exercise Science Facilities at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (17 August 2015)
• New developments in non-invasive cardiac output measurements in high performance athletes and cardiovascular medicine, Mr. Frank Bour, Developer, Managing Director & Co-founder, Manatec Biomedical, France, Smart Talk Seminar Series (21 July 2015)
• Prescription of Training Load in Relation to Loading and Unloading Phases of Training, Craig Purdam - Head of AIS Physical Therapies, Dr David Hughes – AIS Chief Medical Officer, Dr Dale Chapman – AIS Acting Head of Physiology, Smart Talk Seminar Series (25 June 2015)
• My greatest contribution, Dr David Martin, Senior Physiologist, Australian Institute of Sport, Smart Talk Seminar Series (18 May 2015)
• Training: too much, too little, just right, Professor Emeritus David Costill, Director Emeritus of the Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (7 May, 2014)
• Maximising Altitude Workshop, Presented by the Australian Institute of Sport (7 May 2013)
• A Brief Encounter with Kenyan Running, Associate Professor Philo Saunders, Senior Physiologist, Australian Institute of Sport, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra(8 April 2013)
• Sources of Mechanical Power for Human Movement, Dr Glen Lichtwark and Dr Dominic Farris, University of Queensland, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (4 March 2013)
• Physiology - Factors that affect haemoglobin, Clare Humberstone [nee: Gough], University of Canberra/AIS, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (10 September 2012)
• Winning the Tour de France: a sport science perspective, Martin D, Seventeenth annual congress of the European College of Sport Science, YouTube (4-7 July 2012)
• Heart Rate Index by Jon Buckley, University of South Australia, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (5 October 2011)
• Football performance at altitude, Laura Garvican, AIS Physiologis, Australian Institute of Sport Lecture, Canberra (2 September 2011)
• Determinants of VO2 max, Dr Wagner, Professor of Medicine and Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra(26 August 2011)
• Monitoring Exercise Training, Carl Foster, Professor of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Australian Institute of Sport Lecture, Canberra (26 August 2011)
• Strength and Conditioning - An informal presentation to AIS Physiology Staff, Dietmar Schmidtbleicher, Johhann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (11 March 2011)
• Reflecting on the Development of AIS Physiology Services and Research since the late 80's, Professor David Pyne, Senior Physiologist, Australian Institute of Sport, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (23 February 2011)
• Whole Body to Single Muscle Fibre - a research project of UK Sport's Elite Sport Performance Research in Training Project (ESPIRIT), Dale Bickman, Researcher, Queen Mary University of London, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (14 February 2011)
• A virtual tour of Dr Jim Martin's 'Neuromuscular Function Lab', Dr James C. Martin, University of Utah, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (13 December 2010)
• Nutritional and training strategies to enhance swimming performance, Tom Vandenbogaerde, Performance Monitoring Physiologist, Sport Science Manager Swimming New Zealand, Smart Talk Seminar Series, Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra (15 February 2010)

Lecture Series

• Performance Science Lectures—40 lectures, (August - September 2011)