Sport and exercise medicine

The specialty of sport and exercise medicine (SEM) draws upon biomedical and clinical sciences to diagnose and manage sport and exercise-related conditions. The public health element of the specialty is critical – this is not simply a specialty for the management of elite athletes’ medical conditions – it is central to the promotion of exercise as a means of disease prevention, to enhance well-being and in the management of disease.

Spanning primary, secondary and tertiary care, the role of a sport and exercise consultant includes leading or supporting multidisciplinary teams using expertise in physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology, musculoskeletal and general medicine. The work may involve promoting physical activity in special groups such as pregnant women, those with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and the overweight and obese (both adults and children), as well as managing musculoskeletal injuries, and working with sports men and women on all aspects of performance, injury and illness minimisation.

Working with colleagues in public health, the Department of Health and the NHS to implement policies that enhance health, SEM has a key role in developing new approaches to healthcare and promoting population health. 

Related RCP publications

• Consultant physicians working with patients, fourth edition (2008)
• Physical activity for patients: an exercise prescription (2001)
• Medical aspects of exercise: risk and benefits (1991)

Specialty training

For information about specialty training in sport and exercise medicine, go to the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Postgraduate Training Board (JRCPTB) website.

Specialist society

• British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine