Detailed Description
Measures: ECG, maximal heart rate, blood pressure response, ventilatory efficiency, VO2MAX, anaerobic threshold and training zones.
To perform the CPET, inspired and expired air is collected using a facemask for approximately 3 minutes at rest on a cycle ergometer (rest phase) followed by 3 minutes of resistance free pedalling (unloaded cycling phase) and then a continuous gradual, uniform increase in work rate until the limit of tolerance is met (incremental phase).
The advantages of this protocol are as follows: 1) it permits assessment of the normality or otherwise of the exercise response; 2) it identifies the cause of functional exercise limitation (i.e., breathlessness, chest pain, premature fatigue); 3) it gives an appropriate frame of reference for training purposes for competitive events (i.e., marathon) or rehabilitation purposes (i.e., body composition changes, improvement in health).
The CPET is further benefitted by a low initial work rate, meaning only a short duration of high intensity exercise is required over the entire protocol lasting around 8-12 minutes. All results are presented in both scientific forms which can be provided to cardiac/pulmonary specialists, as well as a simplified report designed to inform you with comparisons to normative data.
