Global Trends and Emerging Research Themes in Exercise Prescription: A Bibliometric Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v8i6.2812Keywords:
bibliometric analysis, exercise prescription, international collaboration, precision medicine, scientific mappingAbstract
The scientific literature on exercise prescription has expanded considerably in recent decades; however, no bibliometric analysis has comprehensively mapped its global research trends and thematic evolution. This study aimed to characterize global research trends, collaborative networks, and thematic developments in exercise prescription through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications. We analyzed 5,145 publications retrieved from Scopus (1969-June 2026), authored by 20,099 individuals across 1,609 journals, using Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to examine publication trends, citation performance, author and country productivity, journal influence, and keyword co-occurrence patterns. The dataset showed a robust annual growth rate of 11.26%, an international co-authorship rate of 22.13%, and an average of 29.62 citations per document. Output expanded markedly after 2010, peaking at 553 publications in 2025, coinciding with heightened global attention to exercise as a therapeutic strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom were the most productive and influential contributors, with Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise as the leading journal. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified 605 keywords across 16 thematic clusters, with established themes centered on aerobic exercise, cardiac rehabilitation, and chronic disease management, alongside emerging themes in precision medicine, telehealth, myokines, and velocity-based training. Despite growing collaboration, research partnerships remain unevenly distributed globally, underscoring the need for greater international cooperation and integration of emerging technologies into future exercise prescription frameworks.
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