The American College of Sports Medicine supports three key community impact programs that focus on promoting health and wellbeing in special populations, public health policy and youth sports. Learn more about these programs below and visit their websites for more information, resources and ways to get involved.
Exercise is Medicine® (EIM), an ACSM-managed global health initiative, encourages primary care physicians and other health care providers to include physical activity when designing treatment plans and to refer patients to evidence-based exercise programs and qualified exercise professionals.
Each year, the ACSM American Fitness Index® (Fitness Index) ranks the 100 largest cities in the United States on a composite of health behaviors, chronic diseases and community infrastructure. The Fitness Index celebrates healthy, active lifestyles and encourages city leaders to update policies and systems to make it easier for people to live well.
The National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute (NYSHSI) is the leading advocate for promoting and communicating the latest research and evidence-based education, recommendations and policy to improve the experience, development, health and safety of youth sports.
This session explores the physiology of hydration through an integrated lens—examining how carbohydrate, sodium, flavor, and fluid interact to influence intake, absorption, retention, and performance. We’ll review current research on fluid balance, osmotic drivers, and palatability, highlighting mechanisms that underpin voluntary intake and thermoregulation. Attendees will gain insight into individualized strategies, including sweat profiling and timing approaches, to optimize euhydration and mitigate performance decrements associated with >2% body-mass loss. Practical applications will be linked to laboratory- and field-based research, ensuring translation from bench to field. This pre-conference equips you with evidence-based tools to support athlete hydration across diverse environments and sporting contexts.
