After growing up in the US and earning his doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Stephen Seiler PhD, has lived and worked in Norway for 30 years as a university teacher, researcher, and leader. He is past Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation and past Dean of the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. Currently, Dr. Seiler is Professor in Sport Science at the same institution and leader of the research group SPADE (Sports Performance and Athlete Development Environments). Seiler has served as research consultant and scientific advisor for a research foundation, sports teams, a regional hospital and the Norwegian Olympic Federation. Professor Seiler is a past Executive Board member of the European College of Sport Science (2014-2019) and founded the Elite Sport Performance Special Interest Group in 2014. He currently consults the Visma Lise-A-Bike Professional Cycling Team.
Seiler is internationally recognized for his research publications and lectures related to the organization of endurance training and intensity distribution. This work has included both descriptive and experimental approaches, investigating cyclists, rowers, XC skiers, orienteers, and distance runners. His work brought the terms “training intensity distribution” and “polarized training model” into the training discussion. Seiler has coauthored ~125 scientific publications, written over 100 popular science articles and given hundreds of lectures, webinars, and podcast interviews related to exercise physiology and the training process around the world. He is also a founding editorial board member of the International Journal of Sport Physiology and Performance.