The most obvious need is professionalism that is not possible without having their own professional organization. Creditability is important to the success of exercise physiology. ASEP members understand this point and they desire it very much, thus they are loyal to ASEP because they believe increased creditability will make them happier. As long as ASEP gives its members creditability, it generates strong member loyalty. In fact, the upcoming first-ever certification for exercise physiologists is already increasing ASEP membership as the new members seek out the new product instead of the competitor s product.
Sports medicine is too generic to continue to benefit exercise physiology.
It is also without proper academic footing to support the development of exercise physiology. So, what ASEP, the only professional organization of exercise physiologists, has done is to build new certification products rather than improve upon the decades of ignoring member satisfaction. The history of the lack of support for the bachelor and master prepared exercise physiologists has left both treaded upon. There is a tremendous difference between belonging to an organization that is designed to build sports medicine and one that is building sports medicine and exercise science. The lesson in this experience is that membership satisfaction issues are related to the academic setting.