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Exercise Tests/ Performance Testing for sports enhancement

There are many parameters of fitness, including aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity, flexibility, strength, power, agility, and coordination. With exercise testing, we can identify specifically where our weaknesses lie and then take corrective action to address such weaknesses and improve performance.

VO2max Test

One of the parameters that is relevant to many sports, particularly endurance sports, is aerobic capacity. This is usually assessed indirectly, such as the 2.4 km run which serves as a rough gauge. The most accurate means of measuring aerobic capacity is the direct VO2max measurement. VO2max is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual. Complementing this is the determination of the lactate threshold, which further aids in fine-tuning your training programme. SSMC uses a treadmill VO2max test to assess your aerobic capacity in which exercise intensity is progressively increased until exhaustion while measuring the rate and oxygen concentration of the inhaled and exhaled air.

The more you can absorb and utilize oxygen during exercise, the higher your VO2max and the more aerobically fit you are. Knowing your VO2max provides you with a baseline measure of your fitness level and in addition enables us to plan a suitable training program to further improve your cardiovascular fitness.

Running Economy Test

To assess your running economy, your oxygen consumption is measured at various running speeds. The oxygen consumption is then plotted against the speed, and this is compared with other runners, to see who uses less oxygen for each speed. Alternatively, you can make technique and training changes to improve your running economy (e.g. through video gait analysis), and then repeat the test to see if you have managed to run more efficiently.

Video Gait Analysis

Here's a typical scenario: You suffer a lower limb or back injury, go through a period of rest and rehabilitation, recover fully, and then return to your sport only to find your injury recurring within a few weeks. The recurrence could be due to poor running technique, which needs to be addressed.

With video gait analysis, your Sports Physician analyses your gait while you are on a treadmill and identifies the faulty biomechanics (often not obvious while standing and only manifest upon running) that contribute to your injury. The necessary corrections can then be made to help you recover faster and more completely.

Video gait analysis can also benefit those who are injury-free, such as those who wish to improve their running economy. Efficient running is an important skill to acquire in order to perform well in long distance races such as marathons.