German Federation of Sports Medicine and Prevention

What German Federation of Sports Medicine and Prevention does

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sportmedizin und Prävention e.V. (DGSP), also known as the Deutscher Sportärztebund, is Germany's leading professional non-profit association for sports medicine and prevention. It is registered as an eingetragener Verein (e.V.) at Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg and headquartered at Klinik Rotes Kreuz in Frankfurt am Main. The association is organized as a federated body of 17 regional state associations (Landesverbände) covering all German states, and it is classified as a Verband mit besonderen Aufgaben within the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). Its membership consists primarily of physicians specializing in sports medicine, with downstream services reaching athletes, health insurers, and sports federations.

DGSP's core offerings include accredited sports medicine qualifications (e.g., sports medical examinations, lactate performance diagnostics), continuing education and professional development courses, the peer-reviewed Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin journal, and national congresses such as the German Congress of Science in Sports Medicine. The organization also operates the Exercise is Medicine Germany sub-initiative, the YoungDGSP youth program, the STREAMED UP video platform, and the consumer-facing fitforhealth mobile app. It maintains international partnerships with the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Global Alliance for Physical Activity, and the Chinese Sports Science Society (CSSS).

Revenue is generated through annual membership fees collected via the 17 regional associations, continuing education and certification programs, scientific journal publication, congress and event attendance fees, and corporate sponsorships (e.g., Lilly Deutschland GmbH as a Bronze partner). The GTM model is community-led and federated: physicians must join through their geographic regional association, which then delivers local services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and member counts, aggregate revenue, and headcount are not reported. The organization is led by President Prof. Dr. med. Dr. Christine Joisten, supported by multiple Vice Presidents and General Secretary Prof. Dr. med. Rüdiger Reer.

Name

German Federation of Sports Medicine and Prevention

Legal name

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sportmedizin und Prävention e.V.

Website

https://dgsp.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sportmedizin und Prävention e.V. (DGSP) is Germany's leading non-profit professional association for sports medicine physicians, federated across 17 regional state associations and affiliated with the German Olympic Sports Confederation, delivering accredited qualifications, continuing education, and the Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin journal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Association — Sports Medicine and Prevention

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Offices of Physicians (6211)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAKALAB

Sports Medicine

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

SECONDARYHSADAIAB

Sports Physical Therapy & Return-to-Play Rehab

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation & Corrective Exercise

SECONDARYHSADAIAM

Corrective Exercise, Movement Screening & Biomechanics

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation & Corrective Exercise

Keywords

• Sports medicine association
• Medical professional membership
• Continuing medical education
• Sports medicine certification
• Preventive healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees collected through 17 regional state associations for physicians specializing in sports medicine
2. Continuing education and courses: Revenue from sports medical examination qualifications, lactate performance diagnostics training, and other professional development offerings
3. Scientific publications: Publication revenues from the Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin (German Journal of Sports Medicine) journal
4. Congress and event attendance: Revenue from scientific congresses including the German Congress of Science in Sports Medicine and participation fees for educational events
5. Corporate partnerships: Sponsorship and partnership revenue from corporate partners such as Lilly Deutschland GmbH as bronze partner

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DGSP is a non-profit professional association for sports medicine physicians in Germany, federally organized into 17 regional state associations. It provides individual physician membership, accredited continuing education and qualifications (including sports medical examinations and lactate performance diagnostics), and the peer-reviewed Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin (German Journal of Sports Medicine). The organization also runs the Exercise is Medicine Germany program, the fitforhealth mobile app, and the Rezept für Bewegung (Exercise Prescription) initiative to promote physical activity as medicine.

Product overview

The German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention (DGSP) is a professional medical organization structured as a federated association with 17 regional state associations. The organization offers membership with access to professional qualifications, scientific publications (Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin), continuing education programs, and a network of sports medicine specialists. Key programs include Exercise is Medicine Germany, the fitforhealth mobile application for health promotion, the STREAMED UP video platform, and various diagnostic services including sports medical examinations and lactate performance diagnostics. YoungDGSP serves as the youth branch. The organization also publishes guidelines such as the S2k-Leitlinie Sportmedizinische Vorsorgeuntersuchung and maintains partnerships for health initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YoungDGSP: Youth organization within DGSP for young sports medicine professionals
• Exercise is Medicine Germany
• Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin

Products and services

• DGSP Membership Individual membership in the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention, providing access to 17 regional state associations (Landesverbände), professional development programs, scientific publications, member benefits, and discounts for sports medicine physicians.
• Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin (German Journal of Sports Medicine) Peer-reviewed scientific journal published by DGSP covering sports medicine research, with a personal member subscription area available at zeitschrift-sportmedizin.de for members and individual subscribers.
• fitforhealth App Mobile health application promoting healthy lifestyle and physical activity, supporting the DGSP's central task of fostering healthy living among athletes and the general population.
• STREAMED UP Videoplattform (Video Platform) Video platform providing educational and professional content in sports medicine and prevention for members and the broader sports medicine community.
• DGSP-Qualifikationen (DGSP Qualifications) Professional qualification programs and continuing education offerings in sports medicine, including sports medical examinations and lactate performance diagnostics, recognized by German health insurance providers.
• Sportärztliche Untersuchung (Sports Medical Examination) Comprehensive sports medical examination services offered through the DGSP network of certified physicians and facilities, providing medical clearance and health assessment for sports participation.
• Laktat-Leistungsdiagnostik (Lactate Performance Diagnostics) Lactate performance diagnostic services for athletes and patients to assess athletic performance, training zones, and exercise prescription through DGSP's network of certified providers.
• Exercise is Medicine Germany Program initiative focused on promoting physical activity as medicine, with its own board, personal and corporate members, thematic fields, congresses, and expert interviews in the field of exercise medicine.
• Rezept für Bewegung (Prescription for Movement) Program promoting physical activity prescription, directing patients from physicians to appropriate insurance-covered exercise programs to increase population-level physical activity.
• DGSP Fort- und Weiterbildung (Continuing Education) Continuing education and professional development programs for sports medicine physicians, including clinical guidelines, qualification courses, and professional development offerings.
• YoungDGSP Youth organization under DGSP providing dedicated membership, resources, interest groups, and a junior symposium (Nachwuchssymposium) for young professionals and students in sports medicine.

Quantifiable outcome

• Active participation in international sports medicine community with representation at major congresses

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

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

• Lilly Deutschland GmbHminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 May 2026Lilly Deutschland GmbH became a Bronze partner of DGSP, providing corporate sponsorship support for the organization's activities and initiatives in sports medicine and prevention.
• Exercise is Medicine GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExercise is Medicine Germany is a sub-initiative of DGSP focused on promoting physical activity as medicine. It operates with its own board, personal members, and corporate members, and organizes congresses and expert interviews in the field of exercise medicine.
• European College of Sport Science (ECSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGSP actively participates in ECSS congresses, which are among the most important international sports science events with 3,000+ participants. DGSP President Prof. Dr. Dr. Christine Joisten serves as a representative of ECSS at international exchange events.
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGSP maintains active partnership with ACSM, participating in Annual Meetings in Salt Lake City. DGSP President held a joint session with ACSM Past President at the ACSM Annual Meeting, strengthening transatlantic cooperation in sports medicine.
• Global Alliance for Physical ActivitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGSP Secretary General participated in the Global Alliance for Physical Activity symposium in Riga, representing the organization in international discussions on physical activity promotion and public health.
• German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGSP is classified as a Verband mit besonderen Aufgaben (association with special tasks) within DOSB. The organization participates in DOSB forums on sports development, parliamentary evenings, and Olympic initiatives including discussions on German Olympic candidacy.
• Assmann-Stiftung für Prävention (Assmann Foundation for Prevention)majorTechnology or IntegrationThe DGSP website embeds the Assmann Foundation's heart age test (Herzalter-Test), which provides cardiovascular risk assessment based on PROCAM study data. This partnership provides public health value to DGSP website visitors.
• Gesellschaft für Orthopädisch-Traumatologische Sportmedizin (GOTS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGSP congratulated GOTS on its 40th anniversary, indicating a long-standing partnership between the two leading German sports medicine societies.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Prävention und Rehabilitation (DGPR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint educational offerings such as the 14th Course for Cardiovascular Preventive Medicine (Kardiovaskulärer Präventivmediziner) combining sports medicine with cardiovascular prevention expertise.
• CleverReach GmbH & Co. KGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party newsletter distribution service used by DGSP for email communications with members and subscribers. A data processing agreement is in place per GDPR requirements.
• SportMedService GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner organization of DGSP, providing sports medical services and support to the association's network.
• Verein zur Förderung der Sportmedizin (Association for the Promotion of Sports Medicine)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting organization that promotes the advancement of sports medicine through research and educational initiatives.
• Chinese Sports Science Society (CSSS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership facilitated through ECSS, where DGSP President Prof. Dr. Dr. Joisten participated in the CSSS-ECSS Exchange Symposium, promoting scientific exchange between China and Europe in sports science.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Société Française de Médecine du Sport (SFMS): French national society of sports medicine physicians offering diplomas, congresses, and a journal — directly analogous professional society to DGSP but serving the French market.
• Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana (FMSI): Italian national sports medicine society providing certifications, athlete medical examinations, and continuing education analogous to DGSP's domestic sportärztliche Untersuchung offerings.
• Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM): Canadian national specialty society for sport and exercise physicians with similar mandate around CME, certification, and athlete health — comparable in scope to DGSP but serving a different national market.
• Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP): Australasian professional college specializing in sport and exercise medicine with fellowship and training programs, structurally analogous to DGSP's DGSP-Qualifikationen ecosystem in the German market.

Broad incumbents

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): U.S.-based professional society for sports medicine and exercise science, certifying physicians, publishing MSSE journal, and running ACSM Annual Meeting — directly comparable role to DGSP's presidential and partner positioning.
• International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS): Global umbrella federation of national sports medicine societies, of which DGSP is implicitly a member through ECSS/ACSM engagement, providing an international structural analog to DGSP's role within DOSB.

Direct peers

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Prävention und Rehabilitation (DGPR): German professional society for prevention and rehabilitation with which DGSP co-delivers cardiovascular preventive medicine courses, competing for preventive medicine physician membership and sponsorship.
• Gesellschaft für Orthopädisch-Traumatologische Sportmedizin (GOTS): German sister society focused on orthopedic-traumatologic sports medicine that DGSP explicitly partners with and congratulated on its 40th anniversary, competing for the same physician members and sports federation mandates.
• British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM): UK national professional association for sport and exercise medicine physicians, offering memberships, qualifications, and journals — comparable structure and value proposition to DGSP at a national level.
• European College of Sport Science (ECSS): European-level scientific society in sport science that DGSP is actively affiliated with and attends annually, sharing the same audience of sports physicians and exercise scientists and overlapping on congress and publication offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sportaerztebund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dgsp
• Instagraminstagram.com/dgsp_sportmedizin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about German Federation of Sports Medicine and Prevention