Why study sport and exercise science?
With so many courses to choose from at university, what makes a degree in sport and exercise science stand out?
Sport and exercise science (SES) is incredibly varied and draws on many different disciplines, including: physiology, biochemistry, biomechanics, motor control, psychology and sports management. This broad range of topics means that there is something for everyone!
Help tackle our biggest health challenges
You’ll be helping to understand and solve some of society’s biggest challenges whilst working out how the body responds to the challenge of physical activity.
Sport and exercise science research has informed health advice that applies to everyone. By contributing to research in this area, you will be helping people take better care of their health and helping to fight some of society’s biggest health challenges.
Work with elite athletes
When it comes to athletes, the difference between silver and gold can be tenths, hundredths or even thousands of a second! Research conducted by sports scientists can improve athletic performance in order to break records, win trophies and reduce injury.
Protect workers from challenging environments
Many people work in challenging environments – from firefighters, who are regularly exposed to high temperatures, to military personnel, who face a range of difficult surroundings. Sport and exercise scientists assist with the selection, preparation, protection and retention of these workers, and ensure that they can do their jobs safely.
Scientifically rigorous
Sport and exercise science is the study of science and the application of scientific principles to understand how the body responds to the challenge of physical activity. Among other scientific disciplines, it involves an understanding of physiology – the science of life. Physiology is the branch of biology that aims to understand the mechanisms of living, from the atomic basis of cell function to the integrated behaviour of the whole body and the influence of the external environment. Physiology is one of the scientific foundations of a degree in sport and exercise science.
Career potential
A degree in sport and exercise science offers students the chance to start their career in an industry that is going from strength to strength. In a comprehensive report we undertook in collaboration with 30 universities around the country, we found that for every £1 a student invests in their SES degree education, they get £5.50 back in the form of future higher wages. This amounts to an extra £667,000 in earnings across their working life compared to if they had left school with A-Levels.
In recent years, there has been tremendous investment in sport, especially in the UK. Governments see the real benefits of the population being engaged in physical activity throughout their lives. There are now many schemes in place to encourage people to take up sport. Professional sportsmen and sportswomen also rely on a team of coaches, trainers, nutritionists, psychologists, biomechanists and physiotherapists to help them perform better. There are more people going to gyms and other sporting and exercise facilities. All of this means that there is a greater demand for expertise in the area of sports science.