IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science (SEHS) is an academically rigorous Group 4 Science offered at both Higher Level (HL) and Standard Level (SL). The course is now organized into three central themes: Exercise Physiology and Nutrition, Biomechanics, and Sports Psychology and Motor Learning. It remains highly interdisciplinary, drawing from Biology (human systems), Physics (mechanical principles), and Psychology (behavioral factors).
The assessment format has been streamlined for the new syllabus. Students now sit only two external papers; Paper 3 and the optional topics (e.g. Optimizing Performance, Nutrition for Sport) have been removed, with essential content from those options now integrated into the core curriculum.
Paper 1: Split into two parts. Paper 1A contains multiple-choice questions, and Paper 1B focuses on data-based questions and experimental skills.
Paper 2: Includes short-answer and extended-response questions that require students to apply concepts to specific sports and health contexts.
How to get a 7 in IB Sports Science ?
To achieve a 7, students must master the interconnectedness of the three main themes rather than treating them as isolated subjects. While previous experience in Biology and Physics is beneficial, the new syllabus emphasizes conceptual learning and higher-order thinking skills.
Success in Paper 2 depends on your ability to apply scientific theories to unfamiliar scenarios. You shouldn't just memorize definitions; you must be able to explain the "how" and "why" behind physiological responses or biomechanical movements in various sports. Additionally, because Paper 1B now explicitly tests experimental techniques, having a strong grasp of the "Tools" and "Inquiry" sections of the new guide is essential for high marks.
CANA’s support in IB Sport Science
In our updated courses, we focus on the new syllabus's three-theme structure, helping students see the links between physiology, mechanics, and psychology. We provide intensive practice for the new Paper 1B data-based questions, teaching you how to analyze complex datasets and experimental designs—a skill that now carries significant weight in your final grade. Our materials are mapped directly to the 2024 subject guide to ensure you are studying the most relevant content.
We also offer specialized coaching for the restructured Internal Assessment (IA). The new syllabus allows for more collaborative inquiry, where students can share methodologies while maintaining unique independent/dependent variables and individual data sets. Our teachers guide you through this collaborative process, ensuring your individual 3,200-word report meets the IB’s high standards for personal engagement and scientific rigor.
Pro Tip: Send us your Exploration topic early so we can help you align your investigation with the new assessment criteria and the "Inquiry Process" required for the latest syllabus.
Below is a breakdown of the specific sub-topics and conceptual areas included in each: so that you can have an idea on designing the potential IA topic you are interested in.
This theme explores how the body’s systems function and respond to the stress of physical activity.
Anatomy & Physiology: Structure and function of the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems.
Energy Systems: How the body generates ATP through the ATP-PC, glycolytic, and oxidative pathways.
Metabolism: The breakdown of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) for energy.
Nutrition & Hydration: Dietary strategies, electrolyte regulation, and the role of water in performance and health.
Training & Adaptation: Principles of training program design, overload, and the body's chronic adaptations to exercise.
Fatigue & Recovery: Physiological causes of fatigue and the mechanisms the body uses to restore energy stores and repair tissue.
This theme applies mechanical principles to human movement to optimize performance and reduce injury.
Movement Analysis: Understanding anatomical positions, planes of movement, and joint types.
Muscular Function: Types of muscle contractions and the structure of connective tissues.
Forces & Motion: Application of Newton's Laws, linear and angular motion, and the impulse-momentum relationship.
Levers & Mechanical Advantage: How the skeletal system acts as a lever system to produce force or speed.
Fluid Mechanics: How athletes interact with air and water, including forces like drag, lift, and buoyancy.
Injury Biomechanics: Identifying risk factors, causes of injury, and prevention strategies.
This theme focuses on the mental and behavioral aspects of sport and how skills are acquired.
Skill Acquisition: The stages of learning, types of skill (cognitive, perceptual, motor), and how they are classified.
Motor Learning: Theories of how the brain processes information and coordinates movement.
Psychological Factors: Motivation, arousal, anxiety, and mental preparation for competition.
Talent Evolution (HL): Factors affecting progression through stages of talent development and talent transfer.
Neuromuscular Function: The interaction between the nervous system and muscles during movement.
The new syllabus also emphasizes "Tools" and "Inquiry" sections that are tested across all themes in the new Paper 1B:
Tools: Experimental techniques, technology use, and mathematical applications.
Inquiry: Skills for exploring/designing experiments, collecting/processing data, and concluding/evaluating results.
Commonly Asked Questions
IB Sports Science is an interdisciplinary subject. Although there are parts that are specifically about sports, much of the subject’s content actually overlaps with Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and involves some Statistics and Psychology, too.
About 40% of the content studied in IB Sports Science will overlap with Biology. You will learn lots about anatomy, including the skeletal, muscular, immune, nervous, endocrine, ventilation, cardiovascular, genetics and skin integumentary systems. IB Sports Science will also cover nutrition and the roles of different biomolecules, such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. You will learn about energy systems and how the body generates energy through respiration.
About 20% will overlap with Physics. You will learn about mechanics as they relate to Biology, e.g. force, energy, motion, and Newton’s law. IB Sports Science also focuses on all types of motion - linear, circular, projectile, and fluid mechanics. This will be related to lever systems and centre of mass, which are important when considering movement. Moreover, you will learn to understand distance-time graphs, acceleration-time graphs, and velocity-time graphs, and know how to convert one into another.
About 10% of the content is related to Psychology, because sports science often involves studying the psychologies of coaches and their athletes.
About 5% of the content studied in IB Sports Science will overlap with Chemistry. The most relevant similarity is the syllabus content on biomolecular structure and bonds. You will also need to know the characteristics or features of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins in more depth. About 5% will overlap with Statistics, because your analysis of experiments will involve data gathering and processing.
Only the remaining 20% of study material will be truly unique to Sports Science. If you already have an interest in sports and completed IGCSEs on related science subjects, Sports Science may be a great choice for you.
Additionally, the exam format for IB Sports Science is very similar to the other sciences. There are 3 papers - Papers 1 and 2 will assess Core and AHL topics. Paper 1 only involves multiple choice questions. Paper 2 is split into sections A and B - Section A involves database and short answer questions, whereas Section B will involve extended response questions. Paper 3 is Options, similar to Biology, Chemistry and Physics, though it requires students to pick 2 options among the choices.
Considering the amount of overlap, it may seem logical to take Sports Science if you like science and psychology. But beyond an interest in science, you should of course have an interest in sports. To do well in Sports Science, you should learn about all different kinds of sports to ensure you have a varied range of examples to write about in exams. Don’t just focus on popular sports like football and basketball. Take an interest in the details of different sports such as curling, figure skating, water polo etc. and familiarise yourself with the rules of the game, the roles on the team, the physical demands, etc. In the extended response questions, examiners will require you to give several examples in which you can apply theory to the real world.
Here at CANA Elite, we truly believe that every student is unique and has the potential to reach their goals with the right guidance. Academic excellence is derived from both passionate teachers and eager students. That is why we provide a unique learning experience tailored to each individual student. Named after the location of the first miracle in the Bible, we hope CANA elite can be the place of miracles for all our students, allowing them to achieve their dreams.
