Sports health check

Sports health check

Sports health check ergospirometry for athletes

The Diagnostic Center Asklipios, provides complete services of sports medical screening, not only for top professional athletes and teams, but also to amateur sportsmen and children. 

The sports health checkup is performed by the excellently specialized staff of the center along with a cutting edge equipment, under the guidance of the Cardiologist Fanis Zambetakis, in cooperation with the French National Institute of Sport, Exercise and Performance (INSEP).

The checkup includes:

• Cardiac Evaluation (ECG - Heart Ultrasound)

• Ergospirometric test, maximum rate of oxygen consumption per minute (VO2max) aerobic and anaerobic threshold

• Speed and heart rate recording at every stage

• Basic metabolism at rest

• Measurement of the consumption of calories, from carbohydrates, proteins, fats, in various sports levels

• Speed, flexibility and explosiveness control

• Plantogram (Foot analysis)

• Biochemical control and lactate measurement.

Thus, we have the capacity to evaluate:

  • Physical condition in direct relation to health

• The specific physical condition that is associated with the activity - sport

Ergometric control is deemed necessary and particularly useful for the preparation of the training program and the improvement of athletic performance.

Most of the physiologists consider that the best markers of cardiorespiratory endurance are:

• The maximum consumption of oxygen (VO2max)

• The maximum aerobic power - speed

• The maximum aerobic capacity

• Body-fat measuring

The efficiency and performance of every athlete are inherent with: 

• Τhe maximum aerobic capacity, which, in its turn depends on one hand on the maximum oxygen consumption and on the other hand on the aerobic and anaerobic threshold. 

• a properly structured sports program has as result the improvement of the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), as well as the aerobic and anaerobic threshold.

The most appropriate way of evaluation of these parameters is ergospirometry.

This control is necessary for athletes, in the most appropriate preparation of training programs of high level athletes, and not only. With ergospirometry we can safely guide the training, speed and duration of the sports exercise in order to improve the aerobic and anaerobic capacity of the athlete. We can also monitor the efficiency of the training by repeating the ergospirometry. In a person without any special training in the past, a proper training program can lead to the improvement of the maximum oxygen consumption up to 40% compared to their previous condition. In athletes,  the percentage of increase can gradually reach 15-20%.

Furthermore, it is very important to improve the relationship between the maximum speed and the speed at the anaerobic threshold. That is to say, if an athlete has an anaerobic threshold speed of 15 Km/h, with a 20% increase the athlete will reach 18Km/h, which is a significant difference regarding the improvement of their performance.

What is the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) and the maximum aerobic capacity:
It is the maximum quantity of oxygen, that can be consumed in a minute, during maximum exercise. It depends on the age, the gender, the physical condition of the athlete. It is determined by the cardiac as well as the respiratory and muscular capacity of the athlete, and by the metabolic characteristics of muscle cells. The aerobic training improves the oxygen transferring system as well as the maximum oxygen consumption.
What is the anaerobic threshold:
It is the speed/power during an effort, beyond which the participation of the anaerobic metabolism continuously increases. At this threshold, the lactic acid is determined to 4 mmol/L. At this level, a normal person can exercise at this particular speed or power for about an hour.  The determination of the anaerobic threshold is necessary for the optimal adaptation to exercise and cannot be determined in any other means than ergospirometry, or, otherwise through successive measurements of the lactic acid in the blood.
What is the difference with the evaluation of the athlete through tests without ergospirometry:
All other tests can relatively determine the maximum consumption of oxygen, as well as the maximum speed and heart rate. However, no other test can determine the aerobic and anaerobic threshold, which are determinants and necessary bases for the optimal training of the athletes.

Appointment >