ACSM Mission Statement
The ACSM promotes and integrates scientific research, education, and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health and quality of life.
ACSM Code of Ethics Purpose
This Code of Ethics is intended to aid all certified and registered American College of Sports Medicine Credentialed Professional (ACSMCP) to establish and maintain a high level of ethical conduct, as defined by the standards by which an ACSMCP may determine the appropriateness of his or her conduct. Any existing professional, licensure or certification affiliations that ACSMCPs have with governmental, local, state or national agencies or organizations will take precedence relative to any disciplinary matters that pertain to practice or professional conduct.
Principles and Standards
Responsibility to the Public
- ACSMCPs shall be dedicated to providing cometent and legally permissible services within the scope of the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) of their respective credential. These services shall be provided with integrity, competence, diligence, and compassion.
- ACSMCPs provide exercise information in a manner that is consistent with evidence-based science and medicine.
- ACSMCPs respect the rights of clients, colleagues, and health professionals, and shall safeguard client confidences within the boundaries of the law.
- Information relating to the ACSMCP/client relationship is confidential and may not be communicated to a third party not involved in that clients care without the prior consent of the client or as required by law.
- ACSMCPs are truthful about their qualifications and the limitations of their expertise and provide services consistent with their competencies.
Responsibility to the Profession
- ACSMCPs maintain high professional standards. As such, an ACSMCP should never represent him/herself, either directly or indirectly, as anything other than an ACSMCP unless he/she holds other license/certification that allows him/her to do so.
- ACSMCPs practice within the scope of their KSAs. ACSMCPs will not provide services that are limited by state law to provision by another health care professional only.
- An ACSMCP must retain good standing relative to governemental requirements as a condition of continued Credentialing.
- ACSMCPs take credit, including authorship, only for work they have actually performed and give credit to the contributors or others as warranted.
- Consistent with the requirements of their certification or registration, ACSMCPs must complete approved, additional educational course work aimed at maintaining and advancing their KSAs.
Obtained from ACSM website February 13, 2006
NSCA Mission Statement
As the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning, we support and disseminate research-based knowledge and its practical application, to improve athletic performance and fitness.
NSCA Code of Ethics
1. Strength and conditioning professionals should not practice nor condone discrimination.
2. Strength and conditioning professionals should not condone, engage in illegal behavior or defend unsportsmanlike conduct or practices.
3. Strength and conditioning professionals should refrain from using techniques and practices in which repeated acts of negligence would result in injury to an individual.
4. Strength and conditioning professionals should use care to be truthful and not misleading when stating their education, training, experience, and involvement of NSCA and shall not misrepresent or misuse their affiliation with the NSCA for unwarranted favors-monetary or otherwise.
ASEP Vision Statement
To be recognized as the leading professional organization of American scholars and practitioners in the study and application of exercise physiology to fitness, health promotion, rehabilitation, and sports training.
The Society is dedicated to unifying all exercise physiologists in the United States and worldwide to promote and support the study, practice, teaching, research, and development of the exercise physiology profession.
Through proactive and creative leadership, the Society empowers its members to serve the public good by making an academically sound difference in the application of exercise physiology concepts and insights.
ASEP Code of Ethics
The significance of the Code is that both students and professionals in the study and application of exercise physiology to health, fitness, exercise, preventive and rehabilitative services can turn to it for guidance in professional conduct. Adherence to the Code is expected, and is based on the belief that exercise physiologists are self-regulated, critical thinkers who are accountable and responsible for their high quality competence in the practice and the delivery of exercise physiology concepts, ideas, and services.
1. Exercise physiologists should accurately communicate and provide health and fitness, educational, preventive, rehabilitative, and/or research services equitably to all individuals regardless of social or economic status, age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, diverse values, attitudes, or opinions.
2. Exercise physiologists should be responsible and accountable for individual non-medical judgments and decisions about health and fitness, preventive, rehabilitative, educational, and/or research services.
3. Exercise physiologists should maintain high quality professional competence through continued study of the latest laboratory techniques and research in preventive and rehabilitative services.
4. Exercise physiologists are expected to conduct health and fitness, preventive, rehabilitative, educational, research, and other scholarly activities in accordance with recognized legal, scientific, ethical, and professional standards.
5. Exercise physiologists should respect and protect the privacy, rights, and dignity of all individuals by not disclosing health and fitness, rehabilitative, and/or research information unless required by law or when confidentiality jeopardizes the health and safety of others.
6. Exercise physiologists are expected to call attention to unprofessional health and fitness, preventive, rehabilitative, educational, and/or research services that result from incompetent, unethical, or illegal professional behavior.
7. Exercise physiologists should contribute to the ongoing development and integrity of the profession by being responsive to, mutually supportive, and accurately communicating academic and other qualifications to colleagues and associates in the health and fitness, preventive, rehabilitative, educational and/or research services and programs.
8. Exercise physiologists should participate in the profession's efforts to establish high quality services by avoiding conflicts of interest and endorsement of products in the health and fitness, preventive, and/or rehabilitative services and programs.
9. Exercise physiologists should participate in and encourage critical discourse to reflect the collective knowledge and practice within the exercise physiology profession to protect the public from misinformation, incompetence, and unethical acts.
10. Exercise physiologists should provide health and fitness, preventive, rehabilitative, and/or educational interventions grounded in a theoretical framework supported by research that enables a healthy lifestyle through choice.