ACSM Releases Two New Expert Consensus Statements

In July, ACSM published a new Expert Consensus Statement in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® (MSSE) titled “Testing in Intermittent Sports — Importance for Training and Performance Optimization in Adult Athletes.” This Expert Consensus Statement provides an overview of available tests in different exercise domains identified as relevant (from assessment of single explosive actions to intermittent endurance capacity), forming the basis for recommendations on how to compose a comprehensive yet feasible test battery that may be integrated into a seasonal competition and training plan. Major sections of the paper include: 

• An overview of physiological demands and energy system interactions on intermittent sports, 

• The role of formal fitness testing in relation to training/competition evaluation, 

• The categorization and standardization of testing procedures, 

• Recommendations for a comprehensive but feasible test battery, and 

• Methods for translating athlete capacity analyses into optimized training practice. 

The statement was developed in accordance with ACSM procedures and guidelines and focuses on providing peers in relevant research disciplines, as well as practitioners (e.g., coaches, physical trainers), with an overview and framework for understanding the interaction between physiological demands of importance for performance and testing in intermittent sports. 

The paper will be published in the August issue of MSSE. Access the paper and accompanying resources. 

ACSM also recently published “Physical Activity and Excess Body Weight and Adiposity for Adults: Consensus Statement for the American College of Sports Medicine.” This current consensus paper serves as an update and extension of prior ACSM position stands (2001, 2009) and consensus paper (2019) on the role of physical activity (PA) in the prevention of weight gain and obesity. This expanded and updated report includes: 

• Contemporary perspectives on defining excess body weight and adiposity; 

• Medical management of body weight regulation; 

• The influence of PA on energy balance regulation and food intake, such as 

• PA mode and volume considerations, 

• Application to various population groups, and 

• Strategies for PA engagement within the context of BW regulation; and  

• Research areas for consideration, with a focus on PA and considerations for exercise and fitness professionals. 

The statement was authored by the expert writing group of John M. Jakicic, Ph.D., ACSM-CEP, FACSM; Caroline M. Apovian, M.D.; Daheia J. Barr-Anderson, Ph.D., FACSM; Anita P. Courcoulas, M.D., MPH; Joseph E. Donnelly, Ed.D., FACSM; Panteleimon Ekkekakis, Ph.D., FACSM; Mark Hopkins, Ph.D.; Estelle Victoria Lambert, Ph.D.; Melissa A. Napolitano, Ph.D., and Stella L. Volpe Ph.D., RDN, FACSM.  

The paper and accompanying resources are freely available to view and download. The paper will be dually published in the July issue of the Translational Journal of ACSM online and the September issue of MSSE. Access the paper. 

Expert Consensus Statements are official pronouncements representing ACSM’s stance on the topic at hand, providing a mechanism by which ACSM can make an official comment in a timely and efficient manner on topics of high importance or with broad impact. The goal for each statement is to present a well-rounded summary of the topic under consideration using a blend of research evidence and consensus of expert opinion. Further, all ACSM pronouncements undergo a rigorous review and approval process.  

Additional information on the ACSM pronouncement process can be found on the ACSM scientific statements and pronouncement webpage.