Exercise Science vs. Sports Science: What's the Difference?

Difference Between Exercise Science and Sports Science

Key Takeaways

Exercise Science: Focuses on human movement, overall health, and fitness.
Sports Science: Focuses on improving athletic performance and sports-specific training.
Career Paths: Exercise science careers include personal training, clinical exercise physiology, and rehabilitation; sports science includes athletic training, nutrition, and coaching.
Similar Curriculum: Both programs cover anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and nutrition.
Strong Job Market: Growing demand due to popularity of sports and public health needs.

Leaving high school and heading off to college is an exciting, intimidating, and transformative time for any young person. If you are reaching this point in your life and are trying to decide between exercise science and sports science programs, it can be hard to understand the difference between the two and which would be better for your needs and goals.

On this page, we’ll break down exercise science vs sports science to help you make this important decision with confidence. Once you understand the fundamental differences between these two fields, and what direction each is likely to take you in life, it will be much easier to settle on your next steps and move forward with excitement and optimism.

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Defining Exercise Science and Sports Science

Comparing exercise and sports science starts with figuring out exactly what is meant by each of these two terms. Let’s look at each of them individually so we can better draw comparisons between the two and figure out which path you are going to decide to explore.

So, what is exercise science? This is the term that has come to be used to describe the study of human movement. That includes various forms of physical activity and how those activities have an impact on overall human health and fitness. There are actually a number of different areas of study that come together to make up exercise science, including things like kinesiology, biomechanics, physiology, and more.

On the other hand, what is sports science? To be sure, there is a lot of overlap here from what we just discussed regarding exercise science. In this field, however, professionals are focused specifically on the improvement of sports performance from a variety of angles. Again here, things like physiology and biomechanics will come into play, but the focus is on optimizing the performance of athletes in a range of sports in order to reach higher levels of accomplishment on the field, court, and beyond. Everything from training and recovery to actual performance in competition and more can be collected under the umbrella of sports science.

Getting Into These Fields

While there are differences in exercise and sports science degrees, you will find that the curriculum you face on these two paths is rather similar. There are going to be courses on topics like human anatomy, exercise physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, and more. These are challenging courses that will require plenty of time and study, but many students find the topics fascinating and enjoy learning so much about what makes humans work and how the various parts of the body function and work together.

If you choose the sports science path, there will likely be some specialized courses included in your education that are directed toward the kinds of things you’ll be doing in the real world once you graduate and find a job in this field. That means spending time mastering performance analysis, learning about strength and conditioning, and venturing into sports psychology.

Understanding Your Career Prospects

Any educational path you go down should be explored with at least an eye toward the future – understanding what it is that you will do with your education once you have completed it. Getting educated on these interesting topics will be enjoyable on its own for what you learn and how it shapes your view of the world, but you certainly want to be able to turn that knowledge into a career that is rewarding both personally and financially.

Fortunately, either path is going to leave you with plenty of different employment prospects to consider. Exercise science and sports science careers can take many different forms, so you won’t be stuck in a single track if you obtain this kind of education. In exercise science, you could get a job as a personal trainer, but could also work in clinical exercise physiology, rehabilitation, and beyond. These jobs could be found in fitness centers, healthcare facilities, or even in research institutions.

If you have met the education requirements for sports science and seek out a career in that area, the options you have available will look a little bit different. Jobs in this field include athletic training, sports nutrition, strength and conditioning, and even coaching. You might find yourself working for a school at the high school or college level, a professional sports team, a development academy, or another organization that supports athletes in their quest to be the best possible version of themselves.

A Promising Outlook for Demand

There is never any way to precisely predict what the future will hold, but for now, things look very good for those who work in the fields of exercise science and sports science. Whether you decide to go after the education requirements for exercise science or you opt for sports science, these fields have been expanding in recent years and there is a possibility that you will find a strong job market with plenty of options and attractive salaries.

There are a couple of factors that contribute to the strength of this job market. For one thing, sports continue to be extremely popular, both at the professional and amateur levels, meaning the demand for sports science professionals shouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. At the same time, with so much of the country and the world facing an obesity crisis and declining personal health, the need for trained individuals to work in public health and personal fitness is significant. Given these factors, securing an education in one of these areas of study should leave you positioned to consider many different career options moving forward.

Pros and Cons of Working in Sports

For some people, there is a strong pull to find a career that is within the sports realm. Maybe it’s someone who was a competitive athlete when they were younger and wants to remain around the game, or maybe it is a lifelong fan who just loves everything about athletics. Whatever the underlying reason, many people fall into this category.

This is both a good and a bad thing when it comes to finding a career. Working in sports has the potential to be a dream job, but it is also highly competitive – many other people have the same dream and pursue the same education. That’s not to say that taking the sports science route isn’t a good idea, because it certainly can lead to a memorable, rewarding, exciting career. Those who pursue working in sports should simply be aware of the level of competition and use that as motivation to work even harder to rise above the rest.

Gather as Much Information as Possible

Without a doubt, the best way to make a good decision in life is to get as much information as possible on the topic at hand before you decide. You are already off to a good start on this point by visiting this page to explore the differences between the benefits of studying exercise science and sports science – but there are many more steps you can take.

Spend some time browsing the websites of universities that offer these programs, see if you can get in touch with people who are in or have completed this type of education, and reach out to any professional organizations in your area that offer programs to help young students. This process will help you understand the benefits of studying sports science, or exercise science, and you might find yourself more excited than ever before about starting the next phase of your education. Good luck!