Sport sciences
Tim Noakes
Sport science is an emerging discipline which applies scientific principles to understand factors associated with sporting performance or health. The origin of sport science can be traced to human physiology laboratories mainly in Europe about 90 years ago. The main focus of research was to quantify energy expenditure and oxygen consumption in an attempt to explain fatigue associated with exercise. In the 1960’s biochemists applied their skills to exercise and much progress was made in understanding metabolism during exercise – this had important applications in health and performance. In the 1970’s the scientists working at the mines in South Africa made important contributions to understanding work physiology and adaptation to exercise in the heat. Many of these findings have been translated to sport and have formed the basis of much of the knowledge in this area.1
As the discipline of sports science evolved, scientists with training in psychology, nutrition, biomechanics, molecular biology, genetics, and immunology have applied their specialised skills to exercise and sport with the goal of improving performance, reducing the risk of injury or promoting health. It is accurate to say that now every established science discipline has some application to exercise, and sport science has contributed to the body of knowledge which has accumulated. Indeed the top exercise scientists around the world represent a group who have had diverse undergraduate training in their formative years. Much of the accepted knowledge around sports performance and health has at some stage been subjected to the scientific process and tested in controlled experimental trials, and published in peer-reviewed journals which are circulated globally. The questions are endless and each good experimental study probably creates more questions than it provides answers.
Routes to a profession in the sport sciences
Students attracted to sport science should have an enquiring mind, be excited about determining “cause and effect” relationships and have an interest in sport, exercise and health. To be eligible for postgraduate training in exercise science a student needs to have a BSc degree specialising in one of the biological sciences.
The first step in training is to acquire an honours degree which takes one year. This level of training will equip a student to either:
work in a laboratory as a research technician;
teach in a school;
teach at a university (junior lecturer level); or
work in the commercial marketplace with a company that is involved in the business of health and fitness.
The next step in training in sports science is to earn an MSc or PhD degree. An MSc degree takes two to three years to complete. It is arguable, but the job opportunities for a student with an MSc degree are probably quite similar to the opportunities for a student with an honours degree. A PhD degree takes three to five years to complete. This training ensures that the student becomes specialised and it is often this specialisation which creates an opening into a fulfilling job. The scope of work opportunities increase significantly with a PhD degree. Many talented PhD graduates spend a few years in a postdoctoral position during which they are able to concentrate on their research activities, before filling a more permanent position in an academic institution. A candidate with a PhD degree who has published his/her research in peer-reviewed international journals will be competitive in applying for an academic career at a tertiary institution either locally or abroad. In an academic position a typical job profile involves teaching, research, raising research funds, consulting and administration.
A popular focus within the sport sciences is to become a biokineticist. We shall consequently considering this focus in more detail.
To study biokinetics, one first has to complete an appropriate undergraduate (BSc/BA/BComm/B) degree specialising in Human Movement Science, which is the only route accessible to prospective biokinetics students. Without the Human Movement Science major, you will not be accepted into the biokinetics course. After successful completion of the Human Movement Science degree, students are then eligible to apply for the Honours degree in biokinetics at the universities that offer this course. The selection criteria at the respective universities are quite stringent, and limited positions are available.
Ideally, when studying for this career option, it is highly recommended that one is hardworking and diligent in one’s studies as an undergraduate student, and that one aims for a first class pass. This will significantly improve your chances for selection. As stipulated by the HPCSA, after completion of the Honours degree in Biokinetics, students must undergo a compulsory one-year period of supervised professional internship with an HPCSA accredited biokineticist or medical doctor. The professional internship must be completed before being able to register at the Professional Board for Physiotherapy, Podiatry and Biokinetics (at the HPCSA) and practice as a biokineticist. To be a successful biokineticist one needs to be a very hard-working individual who gets along well with people, has good reasoning ability, and has great patient handling and communication skills. On top of this good time management, planning, administration and networking skills are important assets to be successful as a biokineticist.
Becoming a biokineticist
The profession of biokinetics has three main focus areas, namely health promotion, prevention of disease and/or injury, and rehabilitation of disease and/or injury. The first two areas are unique to the biokinetics profession and are what differentiates biokinetics from other medical disciplines. A biokineticist is a third-line clinical practitioner registered at the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and is involved in the field of specialised exercise therapy for the improvement of quality of life and day-to-day physical functioning. Physical activity is the biokineticist’s primary form of treatment.
People who are frequently treated by biokineticists have one or a combination of a number of conditions. Orthopaedic conditions, for example, are characterised by neurological/neuromuscular injury or disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, lower back pain, and/or orthopaedic injuries of the foot and ankle, knee, hip, pelvis and thigh, spine, shoulder, elbow, forearm and wrist. Chronic diseases of lifestyle again are characterised by type I or II diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or overweight, metabolic syndrome, high blood fats, coronary artery disease, heart disease and/or peripheral vascular disease. Other conditions include lung disease, fibromyalgia and renal disease.
A significantly large portion of the work of a biokineticist has to do with preventative medicine. Screening, exercise testing and evaluation of “apparently healthy” individuals forms an integral part of disease prevention. A biokineticist is regularly involved in the health screening of sedentary individuals who appear to be healthy (i.e. individuals with no visible signs of disease). This functions as a preventative measure to identify and reduce any possible underlying risk factors for disease, thereby improving their health status and preventing the development of disease and/or injury. This screening process also incorporates people who wish to become fitter or get in shape. This screening and physical assessment procedure is also used to guide an appropriate and evidence-based exercise prescription.
The field of exercise therapy utilised by biokineticists extends from the very young to the very old, in an attempt to improve people’s quality of life and health status in general. A biokineticist usually works in conjunction with numerous medical professionals to provide the client/patient with the best possible chance of recovery or treatment. In the clinical setting biokineticists usually receive their patients through referrals from medical specialists such as orthopaedic surgeons and cardiologists, and also from other medical professionals like general practitioners, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. The biokineticist’s role is to provide final phase rehabilitation exercise programs for these clients/patients to bring them as close as possible to their optimum functional status, either within the sporting environment or within their activities of daily living whichever is applicable.
An additional sub-focus of a biokineticist is high performance testing, evaluation, and exercise prescription for sports performance enhancement. A large part of high performance testing, which is crucial to the role of a biokineticist, is directed at identifying correct or incorrect training techniques, screening for biomechanical abnormalities, developing optimal sports conditioning programs and individual injury prevention and/or treatment. Also, an in-depth understanding of sports conditioning/programming is required to assess and appropriately prescribe related final phase rehabilitation and return to play exercise progressions.
Career opportunities
Career opportunities for a biokineticist mainly include the following:
Setting up a private biokinetics practice
Employed as a biokineticist for a professional/club sport team
A VASA biokineticist at the Virgin Active gymnasiums
A biokineticist within a private multi-disciplinary practice environment e.g. doctor, physiotherapist, biokineticist, massage therapist, etc.
A biokinetics practitioner within a hospital environment – either private or employed by the hospital
A biokinetics practitioner within the corporate business sector e.g. Eskom, Telkom, Virgin Life Care – usually employed or contracted by the business
A biokinetics practitioner within the school sector, to look after the health and well-being of the learners, staff and sports teams – usually employed by the school (where available)
Employed by the universities as a researcher, academic or biokinetics practitioner
Assessor for certain medical aid service providers
Working as an employee of another biokinetics practitioner
The valuable contributions of Wayne Viljoen and Mike Lambert are gratefully acknowledged.↩︎