Areas of activity

Athletes have different risk profiles depending on their particular sport. If problems arise, they require a specific therapeutic strategy that will enable them to maintain their performance.

Sports physiotherapy is a specialization in the treatment and prevention of general and overuse injuries sustained by athletes. Sports massage aims to aid muscular recuperation following sporting activity.

Sports psychology is concerned with the attitudes, thoughts and behaviour of elite athletes. It seeks to explain and predict these, and also to alter and optimize them where necessary or desirable.

The Sports physiology (endurance) section supports elite sport in Switzerland through its provision of practice-centred services, teaching and research and development.

The Sports Physiology section currently supports the physical performance development of Swiss national teams across ten different sports requiring explosive strength. It uses a variety of performance tests, some of which have been developed in-house, to determine maximum and explosive strength, and derives training recommendations from the results.

The team supports the physical performance development of Swiss elite and emerging athletes in game sports through performance analyses and training recommendations.

Technique and tactics determine performance in elite sport and are central elements in the training of athletes.

Exercise Science conducts research in the field of talent identification, talent development as well as long-term performance development.

The Sports facilities unit is a centre of expertise for building techniques and functionality, for commercial and spatial planning matters, and for the management and maintenance of sports facilities.

The Sports Systems expert group is responsible for the strategic and operative management and funding of national and international sports promotion. The group analyses interdisciplinary aspects of national and international sports systems, focusing on specific features of various stakeholders, including organisation, legal structure, material and formal objectives as well as funding. The group analyses how stakeholders interact within sport s systems and funding programmes, and looks at how sports promotion in Switzerland compares with that of other countries.

The Organisational Development expert group looks at the establishment and development of sports organisations and their challenges. It analyses interdisciplinary aspects of how sports organisations position itself, what strategies, processes and instruments they apply and how they can develop ethically and innovatively in the long term.

SFISM fosters sustainable educational practices. It produces scientific analyses and pedagogically sound recommendations on the theory and practice of physical education.

The Integration and Prevention Unit deals with all aspects of diversity and prevention in sport and raises awareness of its value for the individual and society. In the right circumstances, sport can make an important contribution to society by fostering social participation, physical development and personal fulfilment. The Unit also seeks to prevent undesirable side effects of sport such as addiction, violence, discrimination, doping or sexual abuse.

The Monitoring and Evaluation unit develops survey methods to measure physiological parameters.