Exercise Physiology

Exercise Physiology

Exercise physiology focuses on assessing athlete’s health and fitness and developing bespoke training programmes to return to full fitness and/or prepare for performance. A key function of the Physiology department at Aspetar is to provide physiological assessment in the laboratory and on the field, provide altitude training services and advice on training for sporting events and/or returning to full fitness following an injury.

The Physiology department offers various services including:

  • Determine fitness status with bespoke laboratory tests with treadmills and cycleergometers
  • Assess progress of training programmes and/or rehabilitation programmes
  • Laboratory testing like VO2Max, Lactate Threshold, Resting Metabolic Rate
  • Altitude Training
  • Training in environmental chambers (heat and cold environments)
  • Virtual reality training and assessment
  • Advising organisations on enhancing the performance of athletes using various physiological interventions

The experts in the Physiology department work with the medical and rehabilitation teams as well as coaches and athletes, to assess athletes and patients and provide guidance for improving their fitness and accelerate the return to play. The expertise in Aspetar is also available to support professional teams/athletes’ groups in preparing for events in challenging environments (e.g. heat, cold, altitude) and/or preparing for specific races.

A new addition has been the virtual reality suite, developed to provide cognitive training activities and assessments following injury and for athletes completing their rehabilitation progress.

As part of Aspetar’s performance laboratories, the Physiology department has a purpose-built normobaric hypoxic facility that is used for altitude training, a heat chamber for simulating various environmental conditions. Aspetar has also available an altitude dormitory to provide a live-high option for athletes willing to benefit from altitude exposure. A bespoke exercise physiology testing laboratory is also available for regular testing with treadmill and cycle ergometers.