Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Center of Ioannina

Ergophysiology includes
1) myodynamic testing
2) ergospirometric testing.
1) Myodynamic testing:
The myodynamic testing takes part in a BIODEX System-3 Isokinetic dynamometer and involves a battery of tests for the assessment of a muscle group.
• Evaluation of peak torque. Is the most common myodynamic assessment with different angular velocities and muscle contraction.
• Force-velocity relationships for a special muscle group that demonstrates, athlete's profile in a relationship with the sport his involved.
• Assessment of muscle endurance
• Assessment of rate of force development
• Ratio of agonist -antagonist muscles for the determination of imbalances and the prevention of injuries

3) Ergospirometric testing

Defines qualitatively and quantitatively the cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic systems response to exercise.
During the ergospirometric testing the inspiratory and exspiratory gases, analyzed breath by breath.

Synoptically the following parameters are assessed
• Heart Rate
• Breathing frequency
• Oxygen pulse (the amount of the O2 that is being transferred with every heart beat)
• Oxygen consumption (VO2)
• Vital volume
• Maximal ventilation
• Respiratory exchange ratio (RER)
• Respiratory equivalent of O2
• Endexspiratory partial pressure of O2
• VO¬2 to work rate ratio
• Oxygen saturation
• Ventilatory threshold

The assessment of the skeletal muscle and cardiorespiratory systems is scientifically proved for the determination of human performance. With this way we can quantify the training intensity and monitoring the training effects. Also the assessment of these fitness parameters is important part for injuries prevention and for the evaluation of the physical characteristics of young athletes.

Our laboratory is the unique in Epirous region that provides ergospirometric testing. Considering that in our region sports activities like soccer, basketball, volleyball, rowing, track and field, weight lifting and triathlon are widespread the presence of a ergometric laboratory will be a great benefit for many coaches and athletes.

Our aims are to support all the team sports athletes and individual athletes to optimize their performance, to prevent injuries and to help coaches to indentify young talents.