Cardio Pulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) is a non-invasive investigation performed on a watt bike, and used to assess the performance of your heart and lungs at rest and during exercise.

It's used in the world of sports physiology, as it gives an objective, accurate measure of someone’s fitness (their peak ‘VO2’). For example, a cyclist might have a test pre-season, then monitor their progress and fitness by repeating it after a period of training. CPET has only been available to elite sports people, but now anyone can have one and take advantage of the personalised exercise data it produces.

What does the test involve?

During the CPET test the person will be required to perform exercise on an upright bicycle whilst breathing through a mouthpiece. Each breath will be measured to assess how the body is performing, by analysing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. The capacity and strength of the lungs is measured before and during exercise. The heart tracing (ECG) will also be recorded prior to, during and after exercise. The test requires maximum effort to ensure the most reliable diagnostic information is obtained.

What information will be analysed?

• Lung Function: Flow volume loops
• Oxygen Consumption during exercise (VO2 max)
• Anaerobic Threshold (when lactic acid starts to build)
• Heart performance during exercise
• Exercise 12 lead ECG
• CPET can also be used to investigate symptoms of breathlessness, to tell if it is due to a heart problem, a lung problem, or something else.

What happens next?

Once you have had your assessment, I will personally meet with you in clinic to go through the results, including  what the results mean for your training and what you can do to maximise your performance in the future.

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