The ergometer test measures the physical work performance of the test person on a bicycle ergometer or treadmill under the supervision of a sports physician. It is used to analyze endurance and check some health parameters.
Indications (areas of application)
- Athletes/competitive athletes to assess the performance limit and the quality of previous training.
- Determination of the performance limit in people who want to return to sports after a long period of inactivity.
- Determination of the performance limit in persons with cardiovascular diseases who want to become active in sports, for example, after a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
The procedure
Basically, the ergometer test is used to check the performance and resilience status of the test person.
Measured are, in addition to physical performance, the lactate concentration, pulse rate and blood pressure. In addition, an ECG is performed under stress.
The classic ergometer test, like a number of other procedures, is used for performance diagnosis.These procedures differ in the values they measure, in the measurement methods and in the accuracy of the measurement technology.
On the one hand, there is the Conconi test in the open air or in the test studio, in which the heart rate of the test person is measured in comparison to the speed or power. The load is slowly increased by the test person himself and then the pulse is measured.This is a so-called do-it-yourself test, just like the HfMax test (heart rate maximum test): here the maximum pulse value is measured after a coordinated ride on the bike.
On the other hand, there is the field level test, which does not take place outdoors and in which, in addition to the heart rate, the lactate values are also measured in comparison to the load.
Not to be confused with the ergometer test is the spiroergometry.Here, with the help of a mask worn by the test person, the respiratory gas is examined in order to draw conclusions about the oxygen uptake, the respiratory minute volume (oxygen supply per minute), the maximum oxygen uptake and the oxygen pulse (oxygen supply at a certain pulse).
Benefits
The ergometer test and the other procedures of performance diagnostics help you to correctly assess your physical fitness. Especially training beginners or people re-entering after a long training break, but also experienced and actually powerful athletes, often tend to overestimate themselves.
Damage to health and accidents are the result of misjudgement and overstraining, which you as a responsible athlete can prevent with the help of the tests.
Through performance diagnostics, an optimal, individual training program can be developed for you, with the help of which you will quickly become physically top fit and capable.
