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Advancing the exercise profession by setting exercise physiologists' standards for quality assurance in educational preparation, professional credentials, and career advancement. Apply It!: The purpose of this article is to outline the pathway that the exercise profession must follow to establish a professional identity. After reading this article, readers will be reminded of the following: • Continuing education is a mandatory requirement to maintain one's professional certification. • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts Exercise Physiologists to have a 10% expected job growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses updates from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) regarding recertification and continuing education (CE) policies for its certification programs. It mentions the ACSM Committee on Certification and Registry Boards (CCRB) oversees these programs, ensuring they align with National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) standards.

Despite meeting the required technical standards, clinical exercise physiologists (CEPs) have yet to be identified as qualified health professionals (QHPs). Lack of QHP status for CEPs has resulted in limited coverage of services by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), leaving CEPs ineligible to be reimbursed for many of the services they provide. Being acknowledged as a QHP would allow CEPs to better contribute to interprofessional health care teams and potentially become eligible for reimbursement for services provided by CMS and other insurance companies. Apply It!: • Readers will be able to advocate for the field of clinical exercise physiology with an enhanced understanding of the current state of the profession. • Readers will have a platform to have discussions with other allied health professionals to increase awareness of the role of a clinical exercise physiologist in a health care setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apply It!: • Understand the origination of the ACSM four core, professional certifications and the process of maintaining the integrity of these certifications. • Identify recent changes to the ACSM four core, professional certifications. • Recognize the basic differences between the ACSM four core, professional certifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of electrical stimulation using the Marc Pro™ Device (MPD) during the recovery period on calf muscle strength and fatigue in two separate studies (n = 43, Mean age = 61.3 yrs; n = 62, Mean age = 61.7 yrs). The subjects performed the calf press exercise twice a week for 10 wks with or without electrical stimulation (M = 4 hr·wk-1) between training sessions. Subjects who received electrical stimulation (n = 54) in both studies attained a significant (P<0.05) increase in calf strength versus subjects who did not receive electrical stimulation (n = 51). Only the exercise plus electrical stimulation group in both studies showed a significant (P = 0.05) reduction in feelings of calf fatigue. The results indicate that using MPD electrical stimulation during recovery enhances the effects of resistance exercise by increasing muscle strength while decreasing the feelings of muscle fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Westcott WL, Chen T, Neric FB, DiNubile N, Bowirrat A, Madigan M, Downs BW, Giordano J, Morse S, LC Chen A, Bajaj A, Kerner M, Braverman E, Reinl G, Blakemore M, Whitehead S, Sacks L, Blum K. The Marc Pro™ Device Improves Muscle Performance and Recovery from Concentric and Eccentric Exercise Induced Muscle Fatigue in Humans: A Pilot Study. JEPonline 2011;14(2):55-67. To date, a product or routine that consistently relieves delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) caused by eccentric exercise has yet to be identified. Our latest research results indicate that a new device called Marc Pro™ (MPD) significantly improves muscle recovery and muscle endurance from combined concentric and eccentric exercise in healthy recreational exercisers. In the first study, 14 subjects (no prior soreness upon study entry) performed strength training activity (leg extension exercise with eccentric emphasis) to produce DOMS in the quadriceps muscles. All participants received one-hour of MPD stimulation on the right leg only following the exercise session whereby each participant served as their own control. One day later, assessment of muscle soreness revealed significantly less discomfort in the right leg (MPD) than in the left leg (no MPD) in all subjects and in responders, respectively ( p < 0.008; p < 0.002 ). The number of repetitions completed with the right leg (MPD) was significantly greater than the number of repetitions completed with the left leg (no MPD) in all subjects and in responders, respectively (p < 0.03; p < 0.008). In the second experiment, 13 subjects (no prior soreness upon study entry) utilized a modestly challenging uphill/downhill hike to produce DOMS in the quadriceps muscles. Following the hike the subjects' right leg received MPD stimulation for 60 minutes, whereas the left leg received no MPD application. Reported soreness was significantly less in the right leg (MPD) than in the left leg (no MPD) in all participants and in responders, respectively (p < 0.0008; p < 0.0002). These results suggest that MPD stimulation results in a significant reduction in DOMS following strenuous unaccustomed eccentric exercise and significantly greater muscle endurance performance, as measured by leg extension repetitions. Investigation of Marc Pro in a larger population is underway and must await confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]