Get your BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.2
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 30 July, 2026
Submitting to BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's submission system.
| Element | BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstracts for most article types. Original research: 250 words, structured (Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusion). Systematic review: 250 words, structured. Qualitative research: 300 words, unstructured. Short report: 200 words, structured. Viewpoint: 200 words, unstructured |
| Main text | Word limits vary by article type: Original research: 3000 words; Systematic review and Qualitative research: 4500 words; Protocol and Narrative review: 4000 words; Short report and Viewpoint: 1500 words; Editorial: 1000 words. Word counts exclude title page, abstract, tables, acknowledgements, contributions, and references |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| References | Vancouver style (numbered references) |
| Peer review | Single-blind (single anonymised) - reviewer names are hidden from authors |
| Submission | app.penelope.ai/manuscript-check/q/bmjsem |
| Keywords | Author keywords not requested in the journal's author guidelines |
Read the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine in under a page.
Skim two or three recent BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.