Scientific Abstracts and Clinical Case Papers

1. Regardless of in-person or ePoster submission, each person is permitted to submit and be first author on one scientific and one clinical case abstract. You may co-author as many other abstracts as desired. If a person is listed as first author on more than one scientific abstract or clinical case submission, ACSM will only accept one abstract; all others will be rejected.  

2. The first named author must present the abstract. To ensure proper citation in the online Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® (MSSE) author index, authors should list their name consistently throughout all abstracts on which they appear as an author. 

3. All authors must approve the submitted abstract. 

4. Abstracts can be recommended for acceptance by having an ACSM fellow (FACSM) attest to the scientific, medical or educational merit of the work. ACSM fellows who author or co-author a submitted abstract also accept responsibility as a sponsor for that abstract. Abstracts received without FACSM endorsement will undergo formal review. A fellow may sponsor as many abstracts as desired. Authors must provide the fellow’s name and email address when submitting. An abstract may still receive a formal review even though it has FACSM authorship or sponsorship; fellow endorsement does not automatically imply acceptance. The final acceptance decision is the exclusive right of the Program Committee. 

5. The primary focus and substance of the submitted abstract/case must be novel. 

6. The abstract must not have been published as either an abstract or full manuscript in a scientific, medical or professional publication at the time of submission, nor may the abstract’s data be presented prior to the annual meeting. The only exceptions to this policy concern abstracts presented at an ACSM regional chapter meeting and Clinical Exercise Physiology Association (CEPA) annual conference. 

7. Abstracts of experimental, observational and meta-analytic studies must include data to substantiate the conclusions being drawn. Systematic reviews without meta-analyses are not acceptable. It is not satisfactory to simply describe what was found (e.g., “the treatment group increased their fitness more than the control group”) or to only include statistical results (e.g., “associations were significant at p < 0.05).” Abstracts that lack experimental data may be rejected. This applies to abstracts that are sponsored by fellows, as well as those that undergo full review. 

8. Authors who use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the writing of a manuscript, production of images or graphical elements of the paper, or in the collection and analysis of data, must be transparent in disclosing on the submission site and slides/poster presentation how the AI tool was used, and which tool was used. Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscript, even those parts produced by an AI tool, and are thus liable for any breach of publication ethics. 

9. Abstracts that are accepted AND presented will be published in an online supplemental issue of MSSE. 

10. Studies must comply with ACSM’s policy statements regarding the use of humans and animals in research studies. 

11. To ensure consistency and clarity, authors are directed to use the terms as defined by MSSE’s, “Information for Authors” while utilizing the units of measurement of the Systeme International de’Unite (SI). Click here and scroll down to “Technical Guidelines.” 

12. Researchers and clinicians may be employed, affiliated with or have financial interest in commercial entities that may have a relevant bearing on the subject matter of an abstract/case presentation. The prospective audience must be made aware of the affiliation/financial interest by an acknowledgment in the program, as well as acknowledgment in writing on posters and/or in the beginning of slide presentations. If there is nothing to disclose, you must include the phrase “No relationships reported.” Presentations regarding commercial products must focus on basic or applied science and not on the product or on the commercial aspects of the discovery. In addition, the format of the presentation must permit full discussion of the scientific validity and/or therapeutic benefits and risks of the discovery. The intent of this policy is not to prevent a speaker from making a presentation but to identify any potential conflict of interest so that the listeners may form their own judgments about the presentation. A relevant financial disclosure will not affect whether an abstract is accepted for presentation at the meeting. Failure to comply with the published disclosure policy could result in exclusion from future annual meetings. 

13. Regardless of the delivery method, presenters agree to pay registration fees and any other costs associated with presenting at the 2024 annual meeting. Be sure to sign up for the registration option, as instructed, that relates to your presentation format. Switching your registration option does not switch your presentation format. 

14. If a co-author is available to present in the absence of a first author, you MUST inform the ACSM Education Department so this can be noted appropriately, and the first author is not considered a no-show. If an extenuating circumstance arises that prevents you from presenting your abstract, you MUST inform the ACSM Education Department. Not registering for the meeting does not imply you are not planning to present. 

15. Presenters who fail to provide an acceptable notice for not delivering an accepted abstract/case will be prohibited from presenting at future annual meetings and the abstract will not be published in the online MSSE Supplement. If you must withdraw an abstract/case, email a written notification providing a reason for the withdrawal, written by the primary author to breed@acsm.org. 
     
    Scientific Abstract and Clinical Case (in-person only) submission fee: $50 
    ePoster (online only) submission fee: $100 

Preparing the Abstract 

• Abstract character count is limited to 2,000 characters (not including spaces, title or author block). Tables, charts and graphs count as 300 characters. 

• Do not use brand names in the abstract. 

• Indicate grant-funding/AI acknowledgements in the appropriate field during submission. 

• The abstract must be written in English and grammatically correct. 

• Do not include abstract title or author information in the abstract body.  

Title: The title should be brief (˂15 words) and in title case format. 

Your clinical case abstract should include a synopsis of your case that itself includes the history and physical exam of the case to be discussed; an outline of the differential diagnosis, tests and results; final/working diagnosis; and treatment/outcomes as it pertains to the case. Clinical case presentations will be presented in a discussion format. ACSM recommends the necessary data (e.g., EKG, X-rays, ECHOS) be included in slide form. 

• Do not use brand names in the clinical case abstract. 

• Indicate grant-funding/AI acknowledgements in the appropriate field during submission. 
   

Title: The title should be brief (˂15 words) and should be succinct and descriptive. The first part of the title should reflect the area of the problem and the second part the sport or activity of the athlete, but should not include the final diagnosis (e.g., Neck Injury—Football). 

Authors: First and last names of authors will be listed with the case abstract. If an ACSM fellow sponsors without authoring or co-authoring the case abstract, the fellow’s name and email address must be provided when prompted on the primary author step of the submission site. 

The presenting author must have been involved with significant evaluation and treatment of the patient and have a thorough understanding of the entire case and outcome. Do not include degrees, as this affects online search functions. 

Institutions: Include each author’s institutional affiliations. Do not include their departmental affiliations. 

Text: The first paragraph should state the history of the case; the second paragraph should outline the physical exam, then list: 

• Differential Diagnosis 

• Final/Working Diagnosis 

• Tests and Results 

• Treatment and Outcomes 

Clinical Case Topical Categories 

Cardiovascular 

Note: Clinical case abstracts may be chosen by the Program Committee for either slide or poster presentation.   

• ePosters are online-only abstract/clinical case presentations. 

• ePosters can be submitted as either a scientific abstract or clinical case. 

• ePoster presentations are for those submitters who are unable to attend and present in-person. 

• ePoster submissions will be limited to the first 300 submissions and the ePoster submission site will be turned off once this limit is met. 

• The non-refundable fee for submitting an ePoster is $100. 

• ePoster presenters will not be scheduled to present the ePoster at a specific date or time during the week of the meeting. However, they will be expected to periodically check the chat during the period in which the ePoster is available for viewing. 

• ePoster presenters will be expected to register for the online component of the annual meeting. 

You can withdraw your abstract online prior to the Nov. 29, 2023  deadline by going to the submission site in the “Review My Work” page. Click on the “Delete This Submission” button at the bottom of this page. After that date, withdrawals must be made in writing by the first author to breed@acsm.org stating the reason for withdrawal.