Exercise Physiology

Today's exercise physiologists are indebted to the rich history of academic programs in health and [Page 458]physical education. For many years, physical educators with an interest in sports physiology taught the “physiology of exercise” course in the college major. Significant concerns arose about the quality of the physical education major, resulting in many health and physical education departments changing to kinesiology or exercise science. Many of these departments offered doctorate degrees in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise physiology for the benefit of exercise physiologists.

Interest in exercise physiology in the United States developed during the 1960s, when exercise physiologists initiated adult fitness programs to increase physical fitness. During the 1970s, exercise physiologists worked with the medical community to develop cardiac rehabilitation programs to treat patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Additionally, many academic exercise physiologists actively engaged in research activities that focused on sports training to improve athletic performance. The prevailing view was that research is necessary to enable athletes to perform better. Advances in the scientific understanding of regular exercise and sports training support the value of exercise physiology.

When the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP) was founded in 1997 as a nonprofit professional organization of exercise physiologists, it was unclear to many in academia why it was needed. However, after decades of membership in nonexercise physiology organizations, academic exercise physiologists have become more aware that the students of kinesiology and exercise science majors experience considerable difficulty in locating credible career opportunities in the public sector. It is now recognized that research is only one component of exercise physiology.

The professional services rendered by the ASEP are important to instill professionalism in exercise physiology because of the challenges faced by exercise physiologists. In fact, to further encourage the professional development of exercise physiologists, the ASEP leaders introduced two electronic journals. Given the interest in research, the Journal of Exercise Physiologyonline, a peer-reviewed electronic research journal, was established in 1998 to feature original exercise physiology research, reviews, and editorials. Also, given that academic exercise physiologists prepare to become health care professionals, it was important to engage in discussions about professionalism. Hence, the Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline (PEPonline) was created in 1998. It was the first journal to publish articles on professionalism and professional development in exercise physiology.