ergometrie

Ergometrie, or ergometry, is the measurement of work performed and the corresponding energy expenditure during physical activity. An ergometer is a device that imposes a controlled amount of mechanical work and records the work produced, power output, and often metabolic data. The most common forms in clinical and sport settings are bicycle ergometers and arm-crank ergometers; treadmills can also be used in conjunction with metabolic measurements to assess energy cost.

In medical settings, ergometry is used in exercise testing, commonly referred to as an exercise stress test or cardiac stress test. It assesses cardiovascular response to progressively increasing work, helping to diagnose coronary artery disease, evaluate functional capacity in patients with heart or lung conditions, and guide treatment and rehabilitation. In sports science, ergometry is used to quantify aerobic capacity and training load, determine VO2max, and study energy expenditure and substrate use during different activities.

Procedure typically involves a graded protocol where workload increases at set intervals while monitoring heart rate, blood pressure, electrocardiography, and symptom reports. When metabolic measurements are included, a breath-by-breath gas analysis records oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), and related variables to compute energy expenditure and ventilatory thresholds. Outputs include peak power, total work, heart rate response, VO2max, and ventilatory efficiency.

Ergometrie provides information on cardiovascular and metabolic function and is widely used with appropriate supervision to minimize risk.