American College of Sports Medicine

What American College of Sports Medicine does

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), founded in 1954 and headquartered at 6510 Telecom Dr., Suite 200, Indianapolis, is a nonprofit professional membership organization recognized as the largest sports medicine and exercise science body in the world, serving nearly 50,000 members and certified professionals in more than 100 countries. ACSM operates as a credentialing and knowledge platform: it issues four core professional certifications (ACSM-EP, ACSM-CEP, Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor) and a growing suite of specialty certificates covering cancer exercise, autism exercise, obesity care, inclusive fitness, youth fitness, and physical activity in public health. Underlying the credentialing franchise is a content engine of six peer-reviewed journals (including the flagship Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise), authoritative Position Stands, the ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, and a continuing-education catalog delivered via PathLMS.

ACSM monetizes primarily through recurring dues and fees rather than software. Revenue streams include membership dues across student, alliance, professional-in-training, and professional tiers; certification exam and recertification fees; registration and sponsorship from the Annual Meeting, Health & Fitness Summit, regional chapter meetings, and specialty conferences; journal subscriptions and book sales; and continuing-education course fees. Programs such as Exercise is Medicine, the American Fitness Index (co-published with the Elevance Health Foundation across the 100 largest U.S. cities), and the National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute extend ACSM's reach into clinical care integration and public health. Distribution combines direct digital channels (acsm.org, the ACSM Store e-commerce site, the new association management system) with international certification partners (Beijing Institute of Sports Medicine, Exercise Science Academy, Wellness Academy) and a regulatory/government advocacy footprint spanning HHS, the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, and the 2025 Hamburg Declaration's Global Alliance for the Promotion of Physical Activity.

The operating model is community-led and not technology-native in the venture sense. ACSM employs 11-50 staff against a membership base of nearly 50,000, indicating a relatively thin employee layer supported heavily by volunteer experts, journal editors, and committee members. Revenue concentration is spread across individual professionals, institutional subscribers, and corporate sponsors (Technogym, Elevance Health Foundation, GSSI, Exercise Connection) rather than a few anchor accounts. Recent operational moves include a 2025 Association Management System migration with restructured 3-month certification testing windows, a new governance structure, and an expanding specialty-certificate and guidelines pipeline (Autism Exercise Specialist in August 2024, Obesity Care Exercise Specialist in 2025, the 2026 Resistance Training Guidelines update, and forthcoming pediatric cancer exercise guidance).

Name

American College of Sports Medicine

Legal name

American College of Sports Medicine

Website

https://acsm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACSM is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1954, serving nearly 50,000 exercise science and sports medicine professionals in 100+ countries through certifications, six academic journals, conferences, and public health programs like Exercise is Medicine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Medicine Certification

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAAHAB

Fitness & Exercise Training Education (Strength, Cardio, Mobility)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Education (Nutrition, Fitness, Mindfulness)

SECONDARYEDAGANAJ

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional Development & Training Materials

SECONDARYEDAAAEAH

Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Noncredit Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

Keywords

• Sports medicine certification
• Exercise science education
• Professional fitness credentials
• Sports medicine publications
• Continuing medical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from nearly 50,000 members and certified professionals providing recurring revenue stream
2. Certification Programs: Revenue from certifying exercise professionals including personal trainers, exercise physiologists, and clinical exercise physiologists through examination and recertification fees
3. Meetings and Events: Annual Meeting, ACSM Health & Fitness Summit, Regional Chapter Meetings, and specialty conferences generate registration and sponsorship revenue
4. Publications and Journals: Six academic journals including Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, plus ACSM Books generate revenue from subscriptions and publishing
5. Education and Continuing Education: Online course catalog, specialty certificate programs, and continuing education providers generate revenue through course fees
6. ACSM Store: Merchandise and resource sales through the ACSM store at shop.acsm.org

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ACSM is a nonprofit professional membership organization that certifies exercise and clinical exercise professionals (ACSM-EP, ACSM-CEP, Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor) and awards specialty credentials such as Cancer Exercise Specialist, Autism Exercise Specialist, Obesity Care Exercise Specialist, Inclusive Fitness, Youth Fitness, and Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist. It publishes six peer-reviewed journals, develops evidence-based position stands and the Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, and runs community programs including Exercise is Medicine and the American Fitness Index, while also hosting the Annual Meeting and Health & Fitness Summit for continuing education.

Product overview

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) operates as a professional membership organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of certifications, educational programs, journals, and public health initiatives. The core offerings include professional certifications (ACSM-EP, ACSM-CEP, Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor) and specialty certificates (Cancer Exercise Specialist, Autism Exercise Specialist, Obesity Care Exercise Specialist, Inclusive Fitness Specialist, Youth Fitness Specialist, Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist). ACSM also publishes six scholarly journals (including flagship journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise), produces position stands and scientific communications, and administers programs such as the American Fitness Index, Exercise is Medicine initiative, and National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute. The organization hosts the Annual Meeting and Health & Fitness Summit, provides research grants through its Foundation, and has recently expanded testing windows through a new association management system. The portfolio functions as a platform model where certifications serve as the credentialing core, supported by continuing education, journals for knowledge dissemination, and public health programs for community impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Exercise is Medicine: A global health initiative that makes physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical care
• American Fitness Index
• National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute
• ACSM Certification Board
• ACSM Foundation

Products and services

• ACSM Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP) Certification Professional certification for exercise physiologists demonstrating expertise in exercise testing, prescription, and counseling for healthy populations and those with controlled health conditions.
• ACSM Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP) Certification Advanced certification for clinical exercise physiologists working in medical settings with patients who have cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, and other chronic diseases.
• ACSM Personal Trainer Certification Entry-level certification for fitness professionals providing exercise instruction and health guidance to generally healthy individuals.
• ACSM Group Exercise Instructor Certification Certification for instructors leading group exercise classes including aerobic, dance, and step formats.
• ACSM-ACS Cancer Exercise Specialist Course Specialty course providing training on exercise prescription for cancer survivors across the continuum of care, delivered jointly with the American Cancer Society.
• ACSM Exercise is Medicine Credential Credential recognizing professionals trained in making physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical care.
• Autism Exercise Specialist Certificate Course Certificate course developed in partnership with Exercise Connection providing exercise professionals with specialized training to work with individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
• Inclusive Fitness Specialist Certificate Certificate for fitness professionals trained to work with individuals with disabilities, developed in partnership with NCHPAD.
• Obesity Care Exercise Specialist Certificate Specialty certificate course for exercise professionals specializing in obesity care and weight management.
• Youth Fitness Specialist Certificate Course Certificate course for exercise professionals working with youth populations in fitness settings.
• Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist Certificate Course Certificate for professionals working at the intersection of physical activity promotion and public health initiatives.
• Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ACSM's flagship research journal publishing original studies and reviews in sports medicine and exercise science.
• Current Sports Medicine Reports ACSM's official monthly clinical-review e-journal covering current sports medicine literature for physician and clinician members.
• ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal Official ACSM journal providing practical information on fitness and health for health and fitness professionals.
• Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews ACSM journal providing comprehensive review articles on exercise science and sports medicine topics.
• Exercise, Sport, and Movement Open access ACSM journal publishing research on exercise, sport, and movement science.
• Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine ACSM journal focusing on translating sports medicine research into clinical and practical applications.
• ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription Comprehensive reference book providing evidence-based guidelines for exercise testing and prescription, published as part of the ACSM Books catalog.
• ACSM Position Stands ACSM's most authoritative evidence-based statements on topics in exercise science and sports medicine, including the 2026 Resistance Training Guidelines.
• ACSM Annual Meeting Annual scientific conference bringing together exercise science and sports medicine professionals for education, networking, and research presentation.
• ACSM Health & Fitness Summit Professional development conference focused on health and fitness industry trends, programming, and business practices.
• American Fitness Index Annual ranking and report of the 100 largest U.S. cities based on 35 evidence-based indicators of fitness and health, published in partnership with Elevance Health Foundation.
• Exercise is Medicine Global health initiative making physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical care, connecting patients to evidence-based physical activity resources.
• National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute Institute focused on promoting health, safety, and wellness for young athletes through education and advocacy.
• ACSM Membership (Student, Alliance, Professional-in-Training, Professional) Annual ACSM membership with tiered categories (Student, Alliance, Professional-in-Training, Professional) providing access to journals, continuing education, conference discounts, and professional development resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 59.9% of Americans meet aerobic activity guidelines in 2025 (up from 50.9%)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Global Alliance for the Promotion of Physical ActivitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2025ACSM is a founding partner of the Global Alliance for the Promotion of Physical Activity. ACSM President Carrie Jaworski signed the 2025 Hamburg Declaration on Sport, Health and Human Performance alongside other member organizations including FIMS, Continental Sports Medicine Associations, and National Sports Medicine Associations.
• TechnogymcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnogym hosts annual science and technology summits that ACSM participates in. The partnership aligns Technogym's AI-driven digital strategy and precision equipment with ACSM's Exercise is Medicine Program. ACSM's Exercise is Medicine initiative is brought to life through Technogym's facilities and smart equipment, with the partnership focused on personalized, data-driven exercise prescriptions and global health impact.
• Exercise ConnectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACSM partnered with Exercise Connection to develop the Autism Exercise Specialist Certificate®, a unique course and credential providing exercise professionals with specialized training to work with individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
• Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Science (CASES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACSM signed a partnership agreement with CASES (formerly the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) to advance professional development and exercise science education internationally.
• Elevance Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElevance Health Foundation co-publishes the annual American Fitness Index with ACSM, ranking the 100 largest US cities based on 35 health and fitness indicators. The Foundation has awarded over $30 million since 2021 to address food insecurity while improving health outcomes, reaching more than 1.2 million Americans. ACSM works nationally to extend and enrich lives through the power of movement.
• International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIMS serves as the medical backbone for the Hamburg Declaration implementation, collaborating closely with ACSM and all partner organizations. FIMS coordinates four Continental Sports Medicine Associations and 117 National Sports Medicine Associations representing 125,000 sports physicians in 117 countries.
• Korean Society of Vascular Science (KOVAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACSM endorsed the KOVAS 2025 conference 'Heart, Mind, and Motion – The Power of Balance in the AI Era' held in Seoul, South Korea. ACSM members can register for the online portion for free using discount code KOVAS_DISCOUNT_2025.
• Gatorade Sports Science InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGSSI hosts pre-conference sessions at ACSM events, providing education on hydration physiology and functional ingredients in fluid replacement beverages for athletes.
• Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (CoAES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoAES was established in 2004 through multiple sponsoring organizations including ACSM, American Council on Exercise, American Kinesiotherapy Association, American Red Cross, National Academy of Sports Medicine, and National Council on Strength & Fitness. CoAES establishes standards and guidelines for academic programs preparing students for the health, fitness and exercise industry.
• President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (PCSFN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACSM maintains a longstanding relationship with PCSFN including involvement with its Science Board. ACSM CEO and President met with HHS acting assistant secretary to discuss PCSFN re-establishment and the Presidential Fitness Test, highlighting opportunities for ACSM to contribute scientific expertise to shape public policy and programming.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• European College of Sport Science (ECSS): ECSS is the principal European counterpart to ACSM for exercise-science researchers and clinicians, hosting its own annual congress and affiliated journals; it competes with ACSM for international scientific authority and conference attendance in EMEA markets.

Emerging players

• Cooper Institute: The Cooper Institute offers personal-trainer certification and fitness-assessment credentials that overlap directly with ACSM's Personal Trainer pathway, and it co-produces public-facing fitness research that competes for the same evidence-based-authority positioning.
• American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM): ACLM is a fast-growing professional society for lifestyle-medicine clinicians whose 'exercise prescription' pillar competes with ACSM's Exercise is Medicine credential for the same physician audience and CME budget.

Broad incumbents

• American Physical Therapy Association (APTA): APTA is the larger incumbent professional association for physical therapists, overlapping with ACSM's Clinical Exercise Physiologist certifications and rehabilitation-oriented content; it competes for continuing-education dollars and clinical-sport-medicine authority.
• International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA): IHRSA is the broader trade association for fitness clubs and facilities globally; it overlaps with ACSM on Health & Fitness Summit content, professional training programs, and corporate wellness advocacy aimed at the same operator and trainer audience.

Direct peers

• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA): NSCA offers the CSCS and TSAC-F certifications that directly substitute for ACSM's Exercise Physiologist credentials, publishes its own peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research), and serves strength-and-conditioning practitioners inside the same professional community.
• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM): NASM is one of the largest personal trainer and sports medicine certification organizations in the US, issuing credentials that directly compete with ACSM's Personal Trainer and Exercise Physiologist certifications and serving the same fitness-professional buyer.
• National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA): NATA is a membership-based professional association for athletic trainers that, like ACSM, sells credentials, hosts an annual meeting, and publishes clinical journals, with overlapping sports-medicine content and shared clinical-practice standards.
• American Council on Exercise (ACE): ACE certifies personal trainers, group fitness instructors, and health coaches on a similar subscription-and-recertification model to ACSM, and is a co-sponsor of the CoAES accreditation framework alongside ACSM, targeting overlapping professional and consumer audiences.
• American Kinesiotherapy Association (AKA): AKA is a smaller but directly comparable professional membership organization for kinesiotherapists that, together with ACSM, co-sponsors the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (CoAES), giving it parallel accreditation and certification authority in the exercise-science academic pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acsmnews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ACSM1954
• Facebookfacebook.com/American-College-of-Sports-Medicin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-college-of-sports-medicine
• Instagraminstagram.com/acsm1954
• TikToktiktok.com/@acsm1954

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American College of Sports Medicine