Tests can include VO2max/anaerobic threshold with gas analysis (Vacumed equipment), lung function (Micromedical spirometry equipment), ECG digital analysis (Pulse Biomedical equipment) during rest and exercise, body composition (ISAK standard anthropometry equipment) and resting metabolism with gas analysis (includes percentage of fuel from carbohydrate and fat).
Healthy and not so healthy people benefit from these tests. Recreational athletes come to check on their current physiological performance capacity and gain important training information, while someone with chronic fatigue or an auto-immune condition might want to know why their energy systems have become dysfunctional. We can go deep for these clients and even check on the function of their mitochondria (the batteries in all our cells) to find out why. Others like to check there is no cardiovascular disease process underway or if there is a respiratory limitation slowing them down.
Here is a list of all the testing we can do:
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VO2max / anaerobic threshold with gas analysis
Athletes who excel in endurance sports generally have a high aerobic capacity or VO2max. It is not the sole determinant of endurance performance but it is considered a fundamental measure of physiologic functional capacity for exercise. If you want to be a top endurance athlete you don’t have to have the top VO2max score but you at least need to be in the high VO2max club.
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Lung Function
Lung function testing (or spirometry) is recommended for all smokers over the age of 45 and in any person presenting with shortness of breath, chronic cough, wheezing, or excessive mucus production. This is a simple and non-invasive test that can be performed easily.Results from the test can be used in the identification of patients at risk for both a restrictive condition (lung volume issues) and obstructive condition (flow issues).
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Anthropometry
This involves the measurement of human body composition. Your body is the result of lifestyle, nutrition, activity levels and your ethnic origins. We offer a system of assessing your body as it is and monitoring changes over time. We measure skinfolds, girth measurements, bone diameters, and bone lengths. All measurements are based on international standards (ISAK – International Society of Advanced Kinanthropometry).
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BikeFit for Injury Prevention
BodyLab offers a Bike-Fit for Injury Prevention service to help the high proportion of cyclists (85 percent) who can report on a history of some type of common cycling overuse injury eg. knee, neck shoulder, lower back, hamstring, hip flexor. The largest forces in cycling act on the knees. So it is not surprising that up to 65 percent of reported cycling injuries are knee injuries.
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Resting Metabolism
Resting Metabolism or Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) is the minimum amount of calories a person requires without voluntary movement. Feeding status and the amount of fat-free weight (ie. muscle) have the greatest impact on a person’s metabolism. This is why exercise becomes so important in weight loss programmes as it helps to develop muscle and promote an optimum metabolism. Under-eating on the other hand will reduce a person’s metabolism as this is the body’s way of protecting itself from wasting away.
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Executive Health Check
Our complete Executive Health Check is designed to pick up health problems before they present themselves as conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke or diabetes. Ischaemic heart disease is still the leading cause of death in New Zealand (Ministry of Health) for Maori and non-Maori. Other top five causes include cancer (lung, colon, breast), diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cerebrovascular disease (ie. disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain with hypertension being the most important cause).
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Exercise Tolerance Test
Our Exercise Tolerance Test if often used by employers, insurance companies and GP’s. It is used to check for any underlying cardiac disease and cardiovascular capacity. Measurements are taken by a master’s qualified Exercise Physiologist with 34 years experience. These include:
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