ACSM EP-C study guide
ACSM EP-C · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist - usually shortened to ACSM EP-C, or simply EP-C - is one of the four core certification types offered by the American College of Sports Medicine, which describes itself as the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, with nearly 50,000 members and certified fitness professionals. The credential is built for exercise professionals who work directly with clients: conducting pre-participation health screening and risk stratification, administering fitness assessments, and then designing, delivering, and progressing exercise programs. Exam content is organized around four areas - exercise physiology and anatomy; health screening, risk stratification, and fitness assessment; exercise prescription and program implementation; and nutrition, weight management, and behavior change. Because the exam rewards applied judgment rather than isolated recall, strong preparation combines a solid review of physiology and assessment principles with repeated practice at applying screening and prescription decision rules to realistic client scenarios, plus familiarity with ACSM's published guidelines and position stands. The ACSM EP-C study guide has 4 sections and about 1,188 words.
01Exercise Physiology and Anatomy
The ATP-CP (phosphagen) system fuels roughly the first 5–10 seconds of maximal effort; anaerobic glycolysis covers roughly 10 seconds to 2 minutes and yields lactate and hydrogen ions; oxidative phosphorylation dominates longer, lower-intensity work. Aerobic capacity is described by the Fick equation: VO2 = cardiac output × a–vO2 difference .
320 words, about 2 min02Health Screening, Risk Stratification, and Fitness Assessment
Preparticipation screening rests on the PAR-Q+ and a thorough health/medical history plus the ACSM preparticipation algorithm. That algorithm weighs three things together: current exercise participation, presence of known cardiovascular, metabolic or renal disease or signs/symptoms, and the intensity the client intends to perform.
318 words, about 2 min03Exercise Prescription and Program Implementation
Prescriptions are built from Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type, Volume and Progression. Aerobic: 3–5 days/week, 30–60 minutes of moderate work (150–300 min/week) or 20–60 minutes of vigorous work (75–150 min/week).
271 words, about 1 min04Nutrition, Weight Management, and Behavior Change
Body weight reflects energy intake versus expenditure. A pound of fat stores roughly 3500 kcal, so a 500–1000 kcal/day deficit supports about 0.5–1 kg (1–2 lb) of loss per week.
279 words, about 1 min