ACSM's Committee on Certification and Registry Board (CCRB) regularly performs job task analyses (JTAs) of its exams every five to seven years. The JTAs essentially are a detailed job survey of currently practicing professionals - i.e., what you are expected to know and be able to perform as part of a job. In addition, the JTA identifies any important changes that have happened to the field since the last JTA.

CCRB is currently reviewing the ACSM-GEI, ACSM-CEP, and ACSM-RCEP JTAs. At this time, the 2012 JTAs will remain in effect until further notice. Starting December 18, 2017, certain exam questions of the ACSM-GEI, ACSM-CEP, and ACSM-RCEP will be updated to current industry standards and practice. The Guideline of Exercise Testing and Prescription, 10th Edition (GETP 10) is a wonderful resource that captures these changes. It is recommended that you are familiar with GETP 10 and current ACSM position stands, consensus statements, and related industry white papers.

• A free, recorded webinar discusses major changes to GETP 10 is available here.
• Overview of the updated exercise preparticipation health screening can be found here.
• Application of ACSM's Updated Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening Algorithm can be found here.

When preparing for an exam, a good place to start is to review the exam content outlines; available here: https://certification.acsm.org/exam-content-outlines. The exam content outlines provide the job tasks and related specific knowledge and skill statements; see Figure 1. Performance domains are the highest level of content classification. Performance domains are then into divided into job tasks. Knowledge and skills statements are the specific parts of a job task that you must understand and be able to perform.

Figure 1. Sample performance domain, topic, and knowledge and skill statements.

We will keep the ACSM-GEI, ACSM-CEP, and ACSM-RCEP FAQ pages up-to-date. Be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest updates, expert insights, and more.

ACSM-GEI FAQs: https://certification.acsm.org/2017-gei-exam-update-faqs
ACSM-CEP FAQs: https://certification.acsm.org/2017-cep-exam-update-faqs
ACSM-RCEP FAQs: https://certification.acsm.org/2017-rcep-exam-update-faqs

Good luck with the exams! We look forward to you becoming part of the ACSM family!

Personal Health Investment Today, better known as PHIT is a campaign that was launched in January of 2013 by organizations like ACSM committed to healthy lifestyles. The mission of PHIT is to “dramatically improve the health of Americans, especially children, by implementing pro-activity programs.” The PHIT campaign also includes a legislative component:  The PHIT Act (H.R. 1267/S. 482). This legislation is currently pending in Congress and would allow for reimbursement of physical activity expenses using pre-tax dollars in Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). The PHIT Act would expand the definition of a medical expense to include qualified physical activities as a form of disease and illness prevention.What does the proposed legislation mean for you and what will its impact be? The American

College of Sports Medicine supports the PHIT Act because it will help American families to overcome financial barriers to active lifestyles. This legislation supports coverage of youth and adult sports league fees, youth sports camps, gym and health club memberships, pay-to-play school sports fees, exercise and yoga classes, required physical education uniforms, personal trainer fees, fitness tracking devices, sports and fitness equipment, bike rentals, and more.

One of the top causes of death in The United States is physical inactivity, with 5.5 percent of all deaths in the United States caused by physical inactivity. Additionally, 80 percent of children are at risk for disease due to physical inactivity, and two-thirds of the youth population is not active at a standard level for health.  If this dangerous trend is to improve, there must be a cultural change that starts with the young. The United States currently has the least physically active generation of children ever, and it is time to take a stand against sedentary behavior. The passing of the PHIT Act would be a strong show of support for the development of healthy lifestyles for American children and families.      

Congress is expected to consider the PHIT Act as part of a broader tax reform package and we need your help.

Contact your members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor the PHIT Act.

By showing our support, Congress will understand the importance of this critical legislation that encourages all Americans to lead active, healthy lives.

ACSM advocacy efforts support evidence-based public policy that encourages healthy lifestyles and the safe enjoyment of sports and other physical activities. ACSM members serve as expert resources for federal, state and local policy makers, ensuring that decisions are founded on the latest research.

For more information regarding ACSM Advocacy, click here. 

For the latest information, follow @ACSMadvocacy on Twitter! 

The ACSM's Committee on Certification and Registry Board (CCRB) regularly performs job task analyses (JTAs) of its exams every five to seven years. The JTAs essentially are a detailed job survey of currently practicing professionals -i.e., what you are expected to know and be able to perform as part of a job. In addition, the JTA identifies any important changes that have happened to the field since the last JTA.

CCRB completed its JTAs for ACSM Certified Personal Trainer (ACSM-CPT) and ACSM Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP) exams in 2017. Generally speaking, the number of exam questions dedicated to content areas have changed and certain topics have been removed.  As a result, new versions of the ACSM-CPT and ACSM-EP exams will be released December 18, 2017.

When preparing for the upcoming changes to the exams, a good place to start is to review the exam crosswalk document. The crosswalk provides an overview of the changes of the content areas from a 10,000 ft view and provides a side-by-side comparison of the 2012 and 2017 JTAs.

ACSM-CPT crosswalk

ACSM-EP crosswalk

Next, you should review the exam content outlines. This is a much deeper dive into the JTAs and include specific knowledge and skill statements for each content area.

ACSM-CPT content outline

ACSM-EP content outline

One of the best resources candidates should get familiar with is the Guideline of Exercise Testing and Prescription, 10th Edition (GETP 10). This is a wonderful resource that captures current industry standards and practice. It is also strongly recommended that candidates are familiar with current ACSM position stands, consensus statements, and related industry white papers.

• A free, recorded webinar discusses major changes to GETP 10 is available here.
• Overview of the updated exercise preparticipation health screening can be found here.
• Application of ACSM's Updated Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening Algorithm can be found here.

If your child is an athlete and participates in sports, they may sustain an injury at some point. What do you tell your son or daughter after they have an injury that keeps them out of the sport they love? Thoughts of how long until they can return to play are filling their heads. How did their favorite sports heroes return to play so quickly? Today with rapid dissemination of information through social media and 140 characters, kids and parents have instant access to the latest and greatest trends in sports medicine injury treatment. 

Parents, coaches and young athletes ask sports medicine physicians which treatment allows the quickest return to sport. Over the last few years, we have seen an exponential increase in the interest of regenerative medicine, especially the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to assist athletes with returning to their sport quickly and safely after injury. Many parents or caregivers struggle to make an informed decision about the use of stem cells in injury recovery as these are newer, and less understood treatments.   

What is MSC? 
Mesenchymal stem cells are thought to accelerate the healing process for various musculoskeletal injuries such as torn ACLs. Studies have shown these cells have the capacity to form into specific types of cells, including bone, cartilage, muscle and ligament tissues. This specialization allows them to perform particular functions that may assist healing and repair at the precise site of injury. MSC cells are usually harvested from bone marrow or fat cells. Recent research suggests that MSC may provide a nonsurgical treatment option for conditions that affect muscle, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. 

This evidence, however, is limited in young athletes and based on a few, small, randomized clinical trials in adults. There have been reported benefits such as reduced pain and increased function in patients with osteoarthritis, especially after specific knee surgeries; however, it remains unclear whether these results would be similar in children or teens with sports injuries.  

Caution is needed when considering regenerative medicine in children and teens 
There has been an increase in the number of unregulated clinics advertising rapid recovery with use of stem cell therapies. These therapies may be marketed under names such as regenerative cells, healing cells or master cells. [Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are a separate form of therapy, but the concepts are often confused.]  The American College of Sports Medicine urges patients and their families to exercise caution when considering these treatments. The hype surrounding stem cells makes them an exciting treatment option for many sports injuries. However, young athletes and their caregivers should be cautious in pursuing this as a first option for treatment. 

Despite the enormous potential, more studies are needed to determine their effectiveness in treating injuries and long-term safety among the pediatric athletic population. It is also important to note that often this treatment is not covered by insurance and can be very expensive. If more than one treatment is needed, the cost could skyrocket into thousands of dollars.

For a more in-depth look at regenerative medicine therapies in youth and teen sports injuries, we recommend this article from the May/June 2017 issue of Current Sports Medicine Reports.

Clifton L Page, M.D., CAQSM, is a Primary Care Sports Medicine specialist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedics and Family Medicine, Division of Sports Medicine. Dr. Page is in his eleventh year working with the University of Miami athletic teams as their team physician. Board certified in family medicine and sports medicine, Dr. Page's clinical interests include the non-operative care of sports-related injuries, especially tendinopathies, concussions, general medical conditions in the athlete, and sports injury prevention. Dr. Page received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1998, and earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University.

We certainly know that knee pain is not a new phenomenon, but are people today living lifestyles that make it more common?

Recently a study was published suggesting that the incidence of arthritis has doubled since before the 1950s. In follow-up, another researcher examined bones from museums and medical schools, and the findings also suggested an increase.

While these stats may appear shocking, I think it is important to point out a few important factors:

• The population has expanded tremendously since prior to the 1950s

• The average age has increased

• Obesity has become a national epidemic

The researchers said that even when correcting for body mass and age, there was still a large increase. This led the researchers to consider lifestyle factors.

I have several thoughts related to this: Could it be that some of the changes are simply diagnosis – perhaps fewer individuals went to the doctor for knee pain prior to 1950, as they did not think there was anything abnormal about an increase in joint pain with aging? Knee replacement was not the go-to option in the early part of the 1900s, and medication options (and pain tolerance levels) have changed significantly since then. My grandmother told me knee and hip pain was a part of life!

I agree with Drs. Richard Loeser and Lieberman that lack of activity may be a culprit of increased instances of arthritis. There has been a shift away from active careers toward sedentary desk jobs.

Our bodies were not made to sit all of the time. 

As research has demonstrated time after time, exercise reduces arthritis pain and decreases the inflammation associated with arthritis. This seems to reinforce the need for motion and activity across the lifespan. It is true that injury is very predictive of the development of arthritis. However, I believe the benefits of regular exercise far outweigh the risk. One of the first components of therapy for someone with arthritis is exercise – a focus on strengthening muscles around the joint and increasing activity.

Thus, I suggest that the focus should be on getting up and moving!


Lynn Millar has taught in Physical Therapy since 1987. Lynn has been active conducting and supervising research in diverse areas of physical therapy. While specialized in Exercise Physiology, she has expanded her expertise into Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and arthritis throughout the years. She has published numerous articles and presented regularly at the state, regional and national level. In addition to research articles, Lynn has authored several chapters related to arthritis, and one book, Action Plan for Arthritis. Lynn has been active in the American College of Sports Medicine, serving on regional and national committees.