Sport and exercise medicine

Since it was granted formal specialty status in 2006, sport and exercise medicine (SEM) has continued to grow and flourish. With an increasing body of specialists and trainees, clinical practice, research and consensus are growing and evolving, striving to offer timely and evidence-based care. Lessons learnt and new frontiers broached in elite sport are increasingly being translated to benefit patients, and vice versa. With physical activity at its core, the specialty is exceptionally diverse and truly multidisciplinary, drawing on the skill sets of doctors and allied health professionals alike. Current hot topics, some of which are discussed in this article, are equally varied, affecting both active and inactive individuals. The evidence pool in exercise medicine continues to build exponentially, making an ever more compelling case for all healthcare providers to be well practised in incorporating physical activity into holistic and effective management plans for all their patients.