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Sports Scientist

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Primary Secondary Post-16

Imagine you love sports and also love to learn about how our bodies work! A Sports Scientist is like a detective for sports. They use science to help athletes, from school children to famous sports stars, run faster, jump higher, and stay healthy. They might measure how quickly someone can sprint, or how their heart works when they are playing football. They use special equipment and their clever brains to understand what makes a good athlete even better, and how to stop them from getting hurt. It is all about using scientific ideas to help people be their best in sports and exercise. They might help a football team plan their training or teach someone how to eat healthy for a marathon. Sports Scientists work in lots of different places. Some work with big sports teams, like a football or rugby club, helping the players train smart and recover well after a game. Others might work in universities, teaching students or doing research to discover new ways to help athletes. You could also find them in places like fitness centres or even working with individual athletes to make a special plan just for them. It is a really exciting job for anyone who loves both science and sport, and wants to help people reach their full potential

Sports Scientist

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📊 Statistics

Average Starting Salary

For someone just starting out as a Sports Scientist in the UK, they might expect to earn around 20,000 to 25,000 pounds a year. As they get more experience, this can go up a lot

Average Experienced Salary

Experienced Sports Scientists in the UK can earn between 30,000 to 45,000 pounds a year, and some who work with top teams or athletes can earn even more

Job Growth

The demand for Sports Scientists in the UK has been growing steadily. Many sports clubs and health organisations are now looking for these experts to help people perform their best and stay healthy

🚀 Careers in this path

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Football Coach for Kids

You could teach young children how to play football, help them learn new skills, and make sure they have lots of fun while exercising.

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Junior Sports Reporter

You could go to sports events and write or talk about what happened, like who won and what amazing things the athletes did. You might even interview some of the players!

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Sports Equipment Designer

You could invent new and exciting equipment for different sports, like designing really bouncy trampolines or super-fast running shoes to help athletes do their best.

Learning and Playing

Love Sport at School

Pay attention in your PE lessons and try different sports. Learn how your body moves and what makes you good at different activities.

In primary school, try to take part in all your PE lessons with enthusiasm. Join school sports clubs like football, netball, or athletics. This helps you understand different sports and how your body feels when you're active. It's also great for making friends!

Ask Questions

If you play a sport, think about why some exercises make you stronger or faster. Ask your coaches questions about training.

When you're playing sports, be curious! For example, if your coach tells you to stretch, ask why it's important. Or if you're told to drink water, ask how it helps your body during exercise. Understanding 'why' is a big part of being a scientist.

Read About Bodies

Read books or watch videos about the human body, how muscles work, and how exercise helps us stay healthy.

Look for fun books about the human body at your local library or bookshop. There are lots of great children's books that explain how muscles, bones, and the heart work. You can also find engaging documentaries or educational videos online that make learning about health and fitness exciting.

Growing Your Knowledge

Study Science Subjects

At secondary school, try hard in subjects like Biology, PE, and Maths. These are really important for understanding sports science.

When you get to secondary school, subjects like Biology will teach you about the human body, its systems, and how they function. PE lessons will delve deeper into sports techniques, training, and the effects of exercise. Maths is important for understanding data and measurements in science.

Join Sports Clubs

Keep playing sports and maybe even help coach younger teams. This helps you see how different training methods work.

Continuing to be active in sports clubs, both inside and outside of school, is very beneficial. If you get the chance, try helping out with coaching or mentoring younger children in a sport. This gives you a different perspective on how training plans are made and how athletes learn.

Learn First Aid

Knowing how to help someone who gets a small injury is a good skill for anyone working in sport.

Many organisations offer basic First Aid courses, sometimes even for young people. Learning how to deal with cuts, bruises, or sprains can be very useful. It shows you care about safety and prepares you for helping athletes stay well.

Becoming an Expert

Go to University

After school, you'll need to go to university to study 'Sports Science' or a similar course. This is where you learn all the important scientific details.

To become a Sports Scientist, most people go to university to get a degree in Sports Science, Sport and Exercise Science, or a related field. These courses teach you about things like anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and nutrition specifically for sport. Look into different universities and what courses they offer after you've completed your A-levels or equivalent.

Do Work Experience

Try to get experience with sports teams or in a gym. This lets you see what a Sports Scientist does every day.

While studying, try to find opportunities for work experience. This could be with a local sports club, a university sports department, or even a professional team if you're lucky! It's a great way to see sports science in action, meet people in the field, and learn practical skills that aren't taught in books.

Keep Learning

The world of sports science is always changing, so you'll need to keep reading and learning new things even after you have your job.

Even after you become a Sports Scientist, the learning never stops! New research and technologies are always emerging. You'll need to attend workshops, read scientific journals, and sometimes even do further postgraduate studies to stay up-to-date and provide the best advice to athletes.

🎬 Useful Videos

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🎯 View Apprenticeships

Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Sports Scientist. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

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Career Progressions

This page showcases various career options and the pathways to reach them. Each career listed here shares transferable skills and knowledge, making it easier for individuals to transition between them.

Your current career is highlighted to help you see how it fits into the broader landscape of potential career choices. By clicking on any career, you can learn more about it, including the training and education required to pursue it.

Remember, progressing in your career often involves further learning and training. This page provides insights into future career options as well as those that can lead up to your current one.

These career progression decisions are informed by comparing the skills and knowledge needed for different occupations, along with data on how people move between them. Explore the possibilities and discover the exciting journey ahead in your career!

Sample Qualifications

A Sports Scientist typically specialises in optimising athletic performance through physiological and biomechanical analysis, which directly aligns with the duties and focus of a 'Performance sports scientist'. This role specifically captures the scientific application within a sporting context, distinguishing it from broader scientific or coaching roles.

How to become

You can get into this job through a university course.

University

You could take a degree course in sport and exercise science. Courses that include the 3 main subjects of biomechanics, physiology and psychology, will help to keep your job and study options open later on.

Alternatively, you could study for a degree in a science related subject followed by a postgraduate qualification in sports science.

Related subjects include:

  • physical education
  • natural sciences
  • physiology
  • psychology

It's quite common for sports scientists to have or be working towards a postgraduate qualification.

Courses that include work placements or internship opportunities could give you an advantage when job hunting after completing your studies. This is something to ask universities about when you're looking at their courses.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

More Information

Career tips

Experience as fitness instructor, lifeguard, coach or volunteering, for example with a sports club, may improve your career prospects.

It will help you stand out in a competitive jobs market if you have extra qualifications like:

  • first aid
  • gym instructing
  • safeguarding

Professional and industry bodies

You could join The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) for professional development opportunities.

Further information

You'll find more advice on careers in sports science from The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences and Careers in Sport.

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