Welcome to ISAK

What is ISAK?

The International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) was founded as an organisation of individuals whose scientific and professional endeavour is related to kinanthropometry. 

ISAK's purpose is to create and maintain an international network of colleagues who represent the world community transcending geography, politics and the bounds of separate disciplines in order to establish a dynamic area of scientific endeavour.

Kinanthropometry is the area of science concerned with the measurement of human body composition. As a result of changes in life styles, nutrition, activity levels and ethnic compositon of populations, changes to the distribution of body dimensions are forever occurring. Kinanthropometry is the interface between anatomy and movement. It takes the measurement of the human body and determines it's capability for function and movement in a range of settings.

ISAK has developed international standards for anthropometric assessment and an international anthropometry accreditation scheme (IAAS). The accreditation scheme is based on the concept of a four-level hierarchy. A key element in it is the objective maintenance of quality assurance by requiring that all levels have to meet initial technical error of measurement (TEM).

History

An event of historical importance which occurred at Conference 1986 was the founding of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry. On July 20, 1986, at Jordanhill College of Education in Glasgow, Scotland, a meeting of 34 international delegates agreed to the foundation of "an organisation of individuals whose scientific and professional endeavor is related to kinanthropometry", the quantitative interface between human structure and function. It was decided to join the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) as an official Committee. The meeting adopted a constitution specifying an Executive Council of nine members.

The International Society for the Advancement of Kinathropometry (ISAK) is the offspring of the International Working Group in Kinanthropometry (a branch of the ICSSPE Research Committee). This group was founded in Brazil, at the ICSSPE meeting in Brasilia, on 11 September 1978. The group focused on the promotion and upgrading of kinanthropometric research. Their efforts led to the establishment of three international congresses on kinanthropometry and the inclusion of specialised sections in other meetings, such as the Olympic Scientific Congress of 1984. As the number of colleagues with mutual interests increased, it was decided to move away from exclusiveness of small committee to openness of new organisation which would serve more directly all who might be interested.

Past Presidents and Secretary-Generals for ISAK

Date President Secretary-General
1986-1988 Jan Borms Jim Day
1988-1992 Gaston Beunen Jim Day
1992-1996 Alan Martin Jim Day (92-94), Mike Hawes (94-96)
1996-2000 J E Lindsay Carter Mike Hawes (96), Kevin Norton (97-2000)
2000-2004 Mike Marfell-Jones Kevin Norton (2000-02), Hans de Ridder (02-04)
2004-2008 Mike Marfell-Jones Hans de Ridder
2008-2012 Hans de Ridder Mike Marfell-Jones
2012-2014 Hans de Ridder Clare Hencken
 2014-2024 Mike Marfell-Jones   Francisco Esparza-Ros
2024 to present  Francisco Esparza-Ros Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal

ISAK AGMs and conferences

Date Conference Country
1986 Glasgow Scotland
1988 Seoul South Korea
1990 Brussels Belgium
1992 Malaga Spain
1994 Victoria Canada
1996 Dallas EEUU
1998 Adelaide Australia
2000 Brisbane Australia
2002 Manchester United Kingdom
2004 Thessalonika Greece
2006 Melbourne Australia
2008 Guanhzhou China
2010 Estoril  Portugal
2012 Glasgow Scotland
2014 Murcia Spain
2016 Merida   Mexico
2018 Santiago de Chile Chile
2022 Alicante Spain
2024 London United Kindow

ISAK conference proceedings

  • 1976 Quebec City, Canada. Kinanthropometry I.
  • 1978 Leuven, Belgium.  Kinanthropometry II (1980). M. Ostyn, G. Beunen and J. Simons (Eds.). University Park Press: Baltimore.
  • 1986 Glasgow, Scotland. Kinanthropometry III. T. Reilly, J. Watkins and J. Borms (Eds.).
  • 1990 Brussells, Belgium. Kinanthropometry IV. W. Duquet, J.A.P. Day (Eds). E.& F.N. Spoon.
  • 1992.  Malaga
  • 1994 Victoria, Canada. Kinanthropometry V
  • 1998 Adelaide, Australia. Kinanthropometry VI. K. Norton, T. Olds & J. Dollman (Eds). Sixth ISAK Conference October 13-16, 1998.
  • 2000 Brisbane, Australia. Kinanthropometry VII. Pre-Olympic Congress.
  • 2002 Manchester, England. Kinanthropometry VIII.  T. Reilly & M. Marfell-Jones.  12th International Commonwealth Sports Sciences Conference 19-23 July, 2002.
  • 2004 Thessaloniki, Greece. Kinanthropometry IX. M. Marfell-Jones, A. Stewart & T.Olds (Eds). Ninth ISAK Conference August 2004.
  • 2006 Melbourne, Australia. Kinanthropometry X. M. Marfell-Jones & T.Olds (Eds). Ninth ISAK Conference August 2006.
  • 2008 Guangzhou, China. Kinanthropometry XI. Hume, P.A. and Stewart, A.D., Eds. (2009). Kinanthropometry XI: 2008 Pre-Olympic Congress Anthropometry Research. Sport Performance Research Institute New Zealand, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. 99 pages. ISBN: 978-0-473-15761-6. 
  • 2014 Murcia, Spain. Kinanthropometry XIV. Esparza, F., Marfell-Jones, M., Vaquero, R., Martínez, E. and Alacid, F., Eds. (2014). Kinanthropometry XIV. World Conference on Kinanthropometry. UCAM-MURCIA-SPAIN. 2014. Book of Abstracts, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Murcia, Spain. 152 pages. ISBN: 978-84-92986-73-6.
  • 2016 Mérida, Mexico. Kinanthropometry XV. Ferreyro, F., Esparza, F. and Jones, M., Eds. (2016). Kinanthropometry XV: Proceedings of the 15th International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthopometry Conference, held in conjunction with the World Conference in Knanthropometry and Body Composition ISAK-UADY 2016, Ediciones de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico. 284 pages.
  • 2019. Santiago de Chile, Chile. Ciencias del Ejercicio Físico y Salud, nº1. World Conference on Kinanthropometry Chile, 2018. 140 pages.
  • 2022. Alicante, Spain. Proceedings of the XVII World Conference on Kinanthropometry. Marfell-Jones, M., Esparza-Ros, F., and Adhikari, A. International Journal of Kinanthropometry, Vol 2, No S1. 184 pages.
  • 2024. London, United Kindow. XVIII World Conference on Kinanthropometry: Theory to Practice. 5th-7th August 2024. St Mary's University, London, UK. Book of Abstracts. St Mary's University Twickenham London. 20 pages.

Executive Council

ISAK is managed by an Executive Council which consists of five officers and up to five additional council members.

Council sub-committees are designated as Working Groups or Committees.

Current holders of these positions are listed below.

To help enhance communication to ISAK members and the anthropometry community, the Council is also supported by an Editor for the ISAK Newsletter.

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Latest courses

Here you can see the next courses that will be done