Research in Physiology and Nutrition plays a salient role in developing our understanding of the demands of exercise in training and competition. There is currently an unprecedented interest in all aspects of Sport and Exercise Science, particularly in Physiology and Nutrition, likely fostered and substantiated by our enhanced understanding of the complexities of the human body, in addition to a plethora of modern advances in the way in which human function may be quantified. The conceivable acquisition of new knowledge pertaining to sport and exercise, has always been the ethos of the Journal of Sports Sciences, and indeed, it’s growth and popularity is manifested through its metrics. For example, the Journal of Sports Sciences received circa 600,000 downloads in 2017, of which, the most downloaded manuscript continues to be “Nutrition for Endurance Sports: Marathon, Triathlon, and Road Cycling” (by Asker Jeukendrup), receiving over 16,000, and almost 14,000 downloads, in 2016 and 2017 respectively. In fact, in 2017, 9 of the top 10 downloaded manuscripts were either Physiology or Nutrition related. In essence, the Journal is clearly publishing high-quality manuscripts that are relevant to academics, as well as practitioners of sport and exercise sciences.
The Journal of Sports Sciences, now in its 35th year, is ranked 17/81 in the Sports Science category, with a current impact factor of 2.539. Today, there are 24 issues, amounting to 300 published manuscripts from approximately 2000 submissions. At the start of 2017, the Journal entered a new phase of restructuring, moving from 12 to 5 sections, one of which is the Biological Sciences section. This section is a merger of the Physiology, Nutrition and Biochemistry, and Kinanthropometry and Body Composition sections that were prominent in the original Journal structure. However, the large variety of work in these disciplines means that current submissions to the Journal, are not being directed to the Biological Sciences section per se, but usually end up in other sections such as Sport Performance, Physical Activity, Health and Exercise, and Sports Medicine and Biomechanics. This is reflected in the number of manuscript submissions that the Biological Sciences section received this year. By way of comparison, there was a total of 52 submissions made directly to the Biological Sciences section in 2017, compared to an average of 300 year-on-year between the Physiology, Nutrition and Biochemistry, and Kinanthropometry and Body Composition sections. At a recent Editorial Board meeting, it was unanimously agreed to rename the Biological Sciences section to Physiology and Nutrition. The Journal will remain at five sections, and the newly named Physiology and Nutrition section will retain its core structure of Executive Editor, 3 Associate Editors and 34 advisory board members. The Physiology and Nutrition section will continue to attract, and receive manuscripts encompassing the following areas of scientific investigation: Physiology; Nutrition; Biochemistry; Molecular and Cellular Biology; Genetics; Epigenetics; Kinanthropometry; and Body Composition. It is anticipated that the name change will serve two functions; 1. provide clarity to authors on the submission of manuscripts pertaining to Physiology and Nutrition, and 2. attract high quality, and innovative research manuscripts within Physiology and Nutrition. Whilst, the former is imperative, the latter is concerned predominately with sourcing the next highly cited manuscripts.
The broad disciplines of Physiology and Nutrition are ever changing, and recently, there has been an emphasis on emerging areas in Exercise Science, such as redox biology and epigenetics. Furthermore, researchers, athletes and coaches recognise that nutrition plays a major role in sport and exercise performance. Amongst others, appropriate nutrition and supplements ensures optimal gains following training, enhanced recovery between workouts and reduced risk of injury. Equally important, the field of Sports Nutrition is the perfect example where the principles of all major Biological Exercise Sciences, such as Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are integrated with the common goal of increasing performance. Finally, with new ways to quantify human physiology and basic cell function using metabolomics, proteomics, along with an exploration of human genetic variation using whole genome, whole exome and RNA sequencing, there is much to be discovered in Exercise Science. For 35 years, the Journal of Sports Sciences has been at the forefront of publishing Physiology and Nutrition related research, and as the Guardians of this Section, it is with great enthusiasm and confidence that we see this continuing.
We hope you will consider submitting your manuscripts to the Journal of Sports Sciences, and we look forward to reading your high-quality Physiology and Nutrition related research.