A Day in the Life of a Group Exercise Instructor

I always laugh when people assume that teaching group exercise means getting paid to exercise. So far from the truth! Any group instructor knows this is a fallacy. From the outside it looks easy to do — a little like a duck gliding along the in water, you don’t see the little legs churning. Still, […]

Alcohol Consumption and Exercise Performance

Alcohol consumption is a topic that is not often discussed with respect to exercise performance. Typically, people joke about alcohol consumption, in general; and yet, alcohol abuse is a very serious subject. In addition, it has been well established that alcohol negatively affects health and exercise performance. Alcohol has been shown to result in damaging effects to […]

Mental Health Awareness and the Role of Exercise Professionals

May is Mental Health Awareness month, which the American Heart Association calls “a time to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma so many experience.” We might increase awareness by letting people know about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which provides around-the-clock emotional support for people in crisis. […]

Client Challenge: Life-Change Stress Leads to Overeating, Unhealthy Food Choices

In this series, we’re exploring a variety of client scenarios. We describe a few tips from my science-based coaching toolbox to help you help your clients engage fully in a fit lifestyle that allows them to thrive, whatever thriving means in their lives. Today, we explore how to coach a client whose work responsibilities bring […]

Henry Ford Health Reimbursement Case Study

The Preventive Cardiology department at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan, employs 18 clinical exercise physiologists (CEPs) across three sites, as well as two registered dieticians (RDs); there are no other allied health professionals on staff.  The Henry Ford Health CEPs provide a wide variety of services:  For all of these categories, the CEP documents […]

Clinical Exercise Physiologists in the Workforce

A clinical exercise physiologist (CEP) is an allied health professional trained to work with persons diagnosed with a chronic disease for which exercise training has been shown to be therapeutically beneficial. Such conditions include cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, neuromuscular, immunological and orthopedic disorders, among others. Primarily, CEPs work in medically supervised environments providing programs or services directed by […]

How ACSM-EPs and ACSM-CEPs Can Advance the Profession’s Recognition, Compensation

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In March 2021, ACSM assembled a task force to determine how to streamline the reimbursement process for ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologists® (ACSM-EPs) and ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologists® (ACSM-CEPs).  The consensus? Get ACSM EPs and CEPs recognized as qualified health care professionals, or QHPs.  Well, what’s a QHP? According to the American Medical Association, a QHP is […]

Becoming an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist®: Who, Why and How

During their undergraduate academic careers, students majoring in exercise science-related fields contemplate various career paths and often seek guidance regarding the necessary steps to begin their career upon graduation. It is common to encounter soon-to-be graduates who want to work in the fitness industry but are confused about the wide breadth of certifications currently available.  […]

GSSI Pre-Conference

The Physiology of Hydration: More Than Water Alone

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. 

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  • Session 1: Sweating the detail: New insights on hydration considerations for athlete performance
    • Lewis James, PhD, Associate Professor in Human Nutrition in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University
  • Session 2: Functional ingredients in fluid replacement beverages for athletes
    • Lindsay Baker, PhD, Director at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute
  • Session 3: The hydration toolkit: Practical approaches to athlete support
    • Floris Wardenaar, PhD, Associate Professor at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University