Journal profile · Sport Sciences
International Journal of Sports Medicine
ISSN 0172-4622 · eISSN 1439-3964 · Georg Thieme Verlag · GERMANY · Bimonthly · Founded 1980
International Journal of Sports Medicine: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.36; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,620; review 3–8 weeks (community reports); community-reported acceptance: easy; 148 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Journal of Sports Medicine is published by Georg Thieme Verlag and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Sports Performance and Training, Cardiovascular and exercise physiology and Sports injuries and prevention, together about 47.3% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Serving 40+ years as the proven go-to resource in sports science. A truly international publication!This respected journal ensures fast access to the most relevant and up-to-date developments in sports medicine and exercise science. The wide range of topics covered in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (IJSM) include:training & testingorthopedic & clinical sciencesnutrition & behavioral sciencesphysiology & biochemistrybiomechanics & immunologyThe journal publishes original papers, reviews, and letters to the Editors.The IJSM provides a forum for the publication of papers dealing with both basic and applied information that advance the field of sports medicine and exercise science, and offer a better understanding of biomedicine. IJSM is accompanied by Sports Medicine International Open (SMIO) - an Open Access journal publishing original papers, reviews, and letters to the editor.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Sport Sciences
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 10, Germany 7, Australia 4, Brazil 3, United Kingdom 2 (39 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Sports Performance and TrainingMedicine19.8%
- Cardiovascular and exercise physiologyMedicine15.9%
- Sports injuries and preventionMedicine11.5%
- Muscle metabolism and nutritionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.3%
- Exercise and Physiological ResponsesMedicine7.1%
- Cardiovascular Effects of ExerciseMedicine4.8%
- Muscle activation and electromyography studiesEngineering3.8%
- Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlMedicine3.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sport Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sport Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sport Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.36LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 14Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.77LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.94LetPub ·
- h-index
- 92LetPub ·
- h-index
- 180OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,352OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.74OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 6.37%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 133LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,509 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 91 | 8 | 984 |
| 2025 | 148 | 22 | 251 |
| 2024 | 119 | 53 | 462 |
| 2023 | 133 | 60 | 859 |
| 2022 | 132 | 60 | 1,452 |
| 2021 | 172 | 65 | 2,008 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Average review time (community reports)
- 3–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Peer review
- Single-anonymous peer reviewPublisher website · model-extracted
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | EUR 3,390 / USD 3,620 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Georg Thieme Verlag
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1980
- ISSN
- 0172-4622
- Electronic ISSN
- 1439-3964
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Journal of Sports Medicine
What CAS zone is International Journal of Sports Medicine in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Journal of Sports Medicine is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Sport Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of International Journal of Sports Medicine?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.36; CiteScore 4.5, h-index 180.
How long does peer review take at International Journal of Sports Medicine?
Authors report an average review time of 3–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of International Journal of Sports Medicine?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: Vancouver; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of International Journal of Sports Medicine based?
Of the 39 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), Germany (7) and Australia (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Journal of Sports Medicine?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Journal of Sports Medicine is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is International Journal of Sports Medicine open access, and what is the APC?
International Journal of Sports Medicine is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,620.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .