Dr. William Kraemer is a distinguished Sports Scientist renowned for his pioneering contributions to human performance research and athletic training methodologies. Currently serving as Senior Advisor for Sports Performance and Sports Sciences at The Ohio State University, he retired as a full professor in January 2022 after a distinguished academic career spanning multiple institutions. He earned his doctoral degree in Zoology and Physiology from the University of Wyoming in 1984, following earlier service as a commissioned officer in the United States Army where he worked in the Exercise Physiology Division at the U.S. Army's Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. Prior to his scientific career, Dr. Kraemer gained practical experience as a teacher and coach of football, wrestling and strength conditioning at both secondary and collegiate levels, which profoundly shaped his research focus on translating scientific principles to athletic practice.
Dr. Kraemer has established himself as one of the most influential researchers in sports science with over 500 peer-reviewed publications, 12 authoritative books and more than 58,000 citations, earning him recognition as the No. 1 Sports Scientist in the world in 2016 according to scholarly metrics. His groundbreaking work in strength and conditioning research has revolutionized training methodologies across athletic disciplines, with his innovative concept of bridging the gap between the science and the practitioner becoming foundational to the field and adopted by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. His extensive research portfolio spans neuromuscular adaptations, hormonal responses to training and performance optimization strategies that have directly influenced athletic preparation at all competitive levels. The practical applications of his scientific discoveries have transformed how coaches and athletic trainers design strength programs, implement periodization strategies and monitor athlete development across diverse sports.
His exceptional contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious honors including the NSCA's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Outstanding Sport Scientist Award named in his honor and the Citation Award from the American College of Sports Medicine in 2020, alongside an honorary doctorate from the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland in 2016. As a Fellow of multiple professional organizations including the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Dr. Kraemer has profoundly shaped the scientific standards and professional development within sports science. Currently contributing to the Performance Innovation Team and Human Performance Consortium at Ohio State Athletics, he continues to advance the integration of cutting-edge research into practical athletic applications. His enduring legacy lies in establishing the scientific foundation for modern strength and conditioning practices while fostering a generation of practitioners who effectively translate laboratory findings to real-world athletic performance enhancement.
