Is there a difference between sport science and exercise science?

Have you ever thought about the science behind sports and exercise?

When people talk about getting fit or sports, they often mention "sport science" and "exercise science." But, what's the difference between the two?

Let's find out what makes sport science and exercise science different.

View our sports and exercise science courses

Explore our digital prospectus

At a glance:

Sport science focuses on improving how athletes perform and understanding competitive sports.
exercise science looks at all kinds of physical activities and how they affect our health.
Sport science is usually used in professional sports to help athletes do their best.
exercise science is used in many areas, from public health to helping people stay fit.
You can study and work in both areas, but they focus on different things. sport science is more about sports performance, while exercise science is more about health and wellbeing.
Both use sciences like biomechanics (how the body moves), physiology (how the body works), and psychology (how the mind works) but in different ways.
If you study sport science, you might work as a sports coach or in performance analysis.
If you study exercise science, you could work in fitness training, helping people recover from injuries, or promoting health.

Athlete wearing high tech clothing with sensors on treadmill with computer display of heart rate

Exploring sport science

Sport science is a thrilling mix of different areas of study all coming together to boost how well athletes perform.

It's not just about theories; it's very much about using what we know in real sports situations.

Different aspects of sports science

Improving performance: The main goal is to help athletes reach their best potential using science.
Preventing and healing injuries: Learning about how our bodies work to stop sports injuries and help athletes recover from them.
Using technology: Applying the latest tech to study and enhance athletic performance.
Mental strength: Looking into how athletes' minds work and the mental tactics that can give them an advantage.

Sport science isn't just focused on the physical side of things either. It's about psychology too and how the mind can affect performance.

This field is always changing and adapting, using new technologies and ideas to stay ahead in sports.

Understanding exercise science

Exercise science looks at things more broadly. It's about how physical activity affects our overall health and happiness. It's not just for athletes; it's for everyone.

Main points of exercise science

Promoting health and wellbeing: Encouraging a better life through regular physical activity.
Human physiology: How does exercise change our bodies? This is a central question in exercise science.
Public health: Using exercise to tackle health problems in society, like obesity and heart disease.

Exercise science is all about including everyone. It aims to create lasting health habits that can be part of our everyday lives, making it easier for everyone to be healthy.

Although sport science and exercise science might seem similar and do overlap in some areas, each has its own special focus and approach.

Understanding the differences: sport science vs exercise science

It can be helpful when writing your personal statement for a sport and exercise science degree to explain why you've chosen your specific course.

Remember, both sport science and exercise science are about physical activity, but they focus on different areas and have different goals.

Comparing focus and application

Who they help: sport science is mainly for athletes and sports teams. exercise science is for a wider group of people, including the general public.
What they aim to do: sport science is all about helping athletes do their best in sports. exercise science is about making people healthier and stopping diseases that happen because of the way we live.
How they study things: sport science might study specific sports techniques or tactics, while exercise science looks at how being active over time affects our health.

Education and career paths

If you're interested in sport and exercise degrees, it's good to know what kind of education and jobs are out there.

What you can study

Types of degrees: sport science degrees might have special classes in things like sports psychology or coaching. Exercise science degrees might focus on how to help people stay healthy or the science of exercise.
Hands-on learning: Both kinds of programs usually include practical training, work experience, or research projects, which are really important for learning how to apply what you study in the real world.

Career opportunities in sport and exercise

Jobs in sport science: You could become a sports coach, analyse how athletes perform, or work as a sports therapist.
Jobs in exercise science: You might work as a fitness trainer, teach people about health, or help people recover from injuries.

Both fields can lead to exciting graduate sport and exercise science jobs and are important in their own ways, each with a unique focus and set of goals.

Find out about courses you could study at university

Search for related courses or come to an open day

Search for a course

University of Brighton to open UK’s largest indoor cricket academy

The University of Brighton has announced the UK’s largest indoor cricket academy, enabling aspiring cricketers to develop their talents while earning a degree.

Students developing football and peace in the Gambia

Nineteen Brighton students spent 12 days in The Gambia delivering the Football for Peace (F4P) programme.

Groundbreaking environmental chamber launched at University of Brighton with Wolfson Foundation visit

Brighton has officially launched its new state-of-the-art environmental chamber, marking a major step forward in climate health research and student learning.

Pioneering new study tests how a simple ice slushy could protect against heat exhaustion for the elderly and vulnerable

A groundbreaking study from the University of Brighton examines whether a simple icy drink taken prior to activity could protect older adults from dangerous heat stress linked to gut health.

How sport science and exercise science are used in real life

Talking about sport science and exercise science is great, but it's even more interesting to see how they're used in real-life situations.

Here are some examples:

Training olympic athletes: Sport scientists help Olympic athletes improve. They use biomechanics (the science of movement) and performance analysis to make runners faster or swimmers more efficient.
Designing better sports gear: They work with engineers to make better sports equipment. This could be a bike helmet that cuts through the air more smoothly or basketball shoes designed to help players jump higher.
Helping communities stay healthy: exercise science is used to create programs that help lower obesity or control diabetes in communities.
Healthier workplaces: They also develop programs for companies to keep their employees healthy and less stressed.

These examples show how sport science and exercise science aren't just academic subjects. They have a real impact, changing how athletes train and helping people live healthier lives.

Older person being guided by a coach as they lift hand weights

What's next for sport and exercise science?

Let's look at what the future might hold for sport science and exercise science.

These fields are always changing and growing, with new trends and ideas popping up, for example:

Wearable tech: Things like fitness trackers are becoming really popular. They give us lots of information that can help with both personal fitness and training for top athletes.
Virtual reality (VR): VR isn't just for video games. It's starting to change the way athletes train and recover from injuries.
Custom training plans: Imagine having a workout or diet plan made just for you, based on your own DNA. That's where we're headed, both for professional athletes and everyday fitness.
Looking after mental health: There's a growing understanding that how we feel in our minds is just as important as our physical health. Both sport science and exercise science are starting to focus more on mental health.

Sport science and exercise science are not standing still. They're always adapting, using new tech and ideas.

For professionals in these fields or people studying sport courses at university, keeping up with these changes is really exciting. The future looks bright, with lots of new discoveries that mix the best of human ability with scientific breakthroughs.

Want to get involved in sport and exercise science? Take a look at the sport and exercise degrees we offer, and see how you can build a rewarding career.