Research report indicates sports science industry requires regulation

April 11, 2014

The nation’s peak body for exercise and sports science, Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA), has today released a research report in conjunction with Deakin University, which profiles the Australian high performance and sports science workforce and raises concerns that many industry members lack experience and governance from an independent industry body.

The report comes as investigations continue into the Essendon Bombers AFL supplements scandal, which has seen controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank accused of committing more than 30 blood doping-related violations.

ESSA Executive Officer Anita Hobson-Powell said the recent study showed Australia’s sports science industry is predominantly made up of young and highly qualified, yet relatively inexperienced workers who are not accredited with an over-arching industry body.

“It’s concerning to see that while many members of the high performance and sports science industry have completed formal tertiary studies in this field, much of their work is performed without either direct or indirect quality assurance by way of government regulation or professional accreditation.”

“The Essendon supplements scandal has heightened the need for the government to step up and make professional accreditation with an industry body a requirement for all workers operating in the high performance and sports science industry.”

“It’s time for the Liberal National Party to stop sitting on their hands and take action so incidents like the recent AFL doping saga are prevented from happening in the future.”

Ms Hobson-Powell said it was unacceptable that sports scientists employed by professional sporting clubs were not required to meet stringent quality standards or abide by a code of ethics that regulated their work practices.

“Sports-medicine experts like sports physicians, doctors, physiotherapists and dietitians are all regulated by external, independent bodies, leaving sports scientists as the one glaring exception,” Ms Hobson-Powell said.

“By hiring sports scientists that are not fully accredited, sporting clubs are exposing their prized athletes to industry workers that may not hold appropriate formal qualifications, are not bound by a code of conduct, and who are not required to fulfil requirements for ongoing professional development.”

Ms Hobson-Powell said the research report also showed only 50 per cent of sports scientists surveyed had received ethics training in their workplace.

“Behaving in an ethical manner is crucial to delivering a high standard of care to high performing athletes and exercise science patients, so it’s disturbing to see that roughly half of the industry workforce has not received an adequate level of training within the work environment,” Ms Hobson-Powell said.

“Even more concerning is the fact that ethics teachings in formal education programs are not always well defined, so we’re seeing exercise and sports science students graduating from tertiary institutions with a sub-standard understanding of professional ethics.”

“More stringent training programs and behavioural guidelines are required in both education institutions and workplaces to reduce the risk of unethical behaviour in the industry, and ESSA will do everything in its power to assist with this roll-out.”

Ms Hobson-Powell said such issues would be discussed in greater detail at the 6th Exercise & Sports Science Australia Conference and Sports Dietitians Australia Update: Research to Practice being held at the Adelaide Convention Centre this week.

“Some of the national and international community’s most respected high performance and sports science experts will come together on Saturday, 12 April as part of an ethics and supplementation panel to discuss ethical issues regarding supplement use,” Ms Hobson-Powell said.

“Dr Daniel Eichner, Executive Director of the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City (one of two World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratories in the USA), will join Professor Luc van Loon of Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands and a host of other industry professionals in determining the point at which performance enhancement becomes unethical and how cutting edge knowledge can be leveraged without overstepping ethical boundaries.”

“The best way to tackle these issues is to discuss them openly and seek input from industry leaders and the broader high performance and exercise and sports science community.”

The ‘Ethics and Supplementation Panel’ will be held from 9.30am-10.30am on Saturday, 12 April at the Adelaide Convention Centre and is open to exercise and sports science professionals.

For more information, visit www.essa.org.au.

// Ends.

For more information regarding the ‘Profiling the Australian High Performance and Sports Science Workforce’ research report, please see the attached executive summary.

Official media spokesperson:
Anita Hobson-Powell

Executive Officer
Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA)
327 Sandgate Road Albion QLD 4010
E: Anita.Hobson-Powell@essa.org.au
P: 07 3862 4122
M: 0400 519 800

Media contact:
Maya Gurry, Fresh PR & Marketing
P: 0410 109 102
E: maya@freshprm.com.au

About ESSA
Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) is the peak professional body for exercise and sports science in Australia and provides national leadership and advocacy on key issues. It supports its 3,500-plus members and the community through fostering excellence in professional practice, education, training and research.
Website: www.essa.org.au

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