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Is ACSM an organization of exercise physiologists?
A rehabilitation perspective

ERIC DURAK, MSc


The debate has been launched by Dr. Robert Robergs of the University of New Mexico about the status of ACSM as a profession of exercise physiologists. I along with many other exercise professionals who call themselves "exercise physiologists" have pondered this for a while since reading the article in the fall ASEPNewsletter.

Indeed, from a rehabilitation perspective, ACSM by its very definition does not service the needs of professionals who apply clinical exercise in the health care or health club setting. Also, when comparing the mission statements of ACSM and other rehabilitation organizations (1), it its clear that ACSM does not service the needs of health care or health club professionals. ACSM states that it promotes and integrates scientific research and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to enhance performance, fitness, health, and quality of life. Although the pro-clinical forces of ACSM would charge that this indeed is a viable definition, one only has to compare it to the definitions of other organizations to see the discrepancies:

Organization Mission Statement
American Academy of Pain Management To bring together professionals who work with
individuals in pain and to assist in the creation of quality services for those individuals.
American Association of Cardiovascular
and Pulmonary Medicine
Provide products and services to meet customer needs,
and allow us to become the preeminent association of CV & pulmonary professionals.
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Serve the public by advanciong the field of physical
medicine and rehabilitation and advocating public policy
issues related to disabilities.
American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Promote the art, science and practice fo rehabilitation
care for people with disabilities.
Association for Rehabilitation Nurses Advance the profession of rehab nursing through
education, advocacy, and research to enhance the
quality of life for persons affected by disability and
chronic illness.
Medical Fitness Association To create and maintain healthy communities integrating
fitness, wellness, and rehabilitation.
National Association of Rehabilitation Promote interdisciplinary rehabilitation, disability
management, and return-to-work services on behalf
of people with disabilities and enhancing competency of
service providers.

In each of these cases, the clinical aspects of the mission statements shine like a beacon in a storm. I have highlighted the main elements of each of the mission statements that is auspiciously absent from the ACSM mission - PEOPLE. In each of the examples, people (or communities, individuals, customers, etc.) is included within the purpose statement. These organizations care for people. As much as I respect the work of the ACSM over the past 44 years, the organization is made up mainly of persons who perform research. Of course there are many clinical practitioners who make up the membership (I am one of them). I believe ACSM's main function is research.

An interesting chapter has recently appeared in the latest issue of Sport Sciences Reviews, in which Tipton defines the path of sports sciences in the era of 50 years after the closure of the Harvard Fatigue Lab(2). In his report, he muses over the fact that there are organizations who are trying to call themselves clinical exercise physiologists. He states that the only persons who should call themselves exercise physiologists are those who are members of ACSM and the American Physiological Association.

What Dr. Tipton fails to realize is that the winds of change make his argument not only weak, but in one state - illegal. In 1995 the state of Louisiana passed a law licensing clinical exercise physiologists. This law requires those who are working in the health care setting to pass a state board exam to practice their trade. There are currently 11 states in the United States looking into similar legislation. Dr. Tipton also fails to mention that approximately 20 years ago many current members of ACSM were also members of the much larger and politically more powerful AAHPERD (American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance). As more students and faculty from within AAHPERD demonstrated an interest in sports medicine issues, they broke away and joined ACSM. Thus, the political punch of AAHPERD has been considerably decreased in the past two decades. I am sure there is even a significant correlation between their decrease in power, and the demise of physical education programs in many schools across the nation. (It would make a good study).

In closing, I am not trying to bash any organization. I have been pleased with the research from ACSM in the last few years. In 1991 there were less than 1,000 abstracts presented at the national meeting. This year, there were over 1,800. Clearly the trend in ACSM is to expand their research into public health, biology, medicine as well as general fitness. I am pointing out trends in the system, and what I see as the organizations that are trying to fill this niche.

I would even add such organizations as the International Health and Racket Sports Association (IHRSA) and their health care provider task force, and the International Dance Exercise Association (IDEA) with their mind/body fitness council as others who see the trends in the health care and exercise relationship, and who are looking for specific holes in the market to penetrate.

If we, as members of the American Society of Exercise Physiologists, are to define ourselves, we MUST make the distinction between what we do and the other organizations if we are to make ourselves unique. This is the challenge of ASEP over the coming years - to distinguish ourselves from the older and more well established organizations by making the practitioner the selling point, and the community the focal point.

References

1. Editor. Associations and Organizations. Rehab Management. 11:4:92-93, June/July, 1998.

2. Tipton, CL. 50 years after the closing of the Harvard Fatigue Lab. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. Ch. 8, 1998.


About the Author Eric Durak: He is a pioneer in the field of integrative exercise physiology. He has worked in clinical exercise programs for patients with diabetes, gestational diabetes, renal disease, obesity, cancer, PVD, cardiac rehab, and others. He is the Director of the International Sport Sciences Association's Fitness Therapist™ CEU program, and serves as the California State Director of the National Fitness Therapy Association accrediting organization. He is the author of over 100 scientific and lay publications, and is the author of the Ins and Outs of Medical Insurance Billing text - designed to educate fitness and sports medicine professionals on the inner workings of the health care system.
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