7 Instructions for Exercising
Scientists and professional trainers use bicycle ergometry for evaluating
the efficiency of cardiac, circulatory and respiratory systems.Scientists
have concluded that effective monitoring of physical functions is only pos-
sible when these are subjected to stress. An examination of the cardiac
and circulation systems when the body is at rest, can give no reliable in-
dication of how these will function under stress.
A test undertaken under stress, e.g. on the bicycle ergometer, can play an
important role in the early diagnosis of cardiac and circulatory com-
plaints.
Countermeasures can then be taken before it is too late. These may well
take the form of a carefully dosed programme of exercises under medical
supervision .
Exercising with the bicycle ergometer is also of considerable importance
in the convalescence of cardiac patients. Exercise periods can be pre-
cisely programmed and easily monitored.
In the training of athletes too, the use of bicycle ergometry allows en-
durance to be measured under scientific conditions. The results give im-
portant indications of the level of the athlete’s fitness.
Amateur sportsmen too, who want to increase their personal fitness, as
well as those who try to be as physically active as possible in order to
avoid degeneration of the cardiac and circulatory systems, can benefit
from bicycle ergometry.
The body of an athlete differs from that of an amateur sportsman in its
ability to produce more of the energy-giving substances required for
physical exertion much more rapidly.
This is the task of the “transporters“, -heart circulation and respiratory sys-
tems - to achieve the maximum effect with the minimum of effort.
Whether your fitness training has achieved the desired results after a few
weeks of regular cycling in the home, can be determined as follows:
1. You achieve a certain performance with less effort than previously on
the part of heart and circulation;
2. You manage to keep up o certain performance for a longer period of
time with the same cardiac and circulatory effort.
3. You recover more quickly than previously after a given amount of phys-
ical exertion.
In order to make comparisons of this kind, you initial capability, i.e. the
efficiency of your cardiac, circulatory and respiratory systems should be
checked before training is begun.
How to find this out:
If you have not taken part in sporting activities for a long period of time
or if you are in poor health, consult your doctor before beginning your
course of physical training.
Scientists have developed a graduated test for determining the efficiency
of the heart and circulatory systems using a bicycle ergometer.
1. For persons who have never exercised systematically or with cardiac
or circulatary complaints, the starting point is taken as 25 W, and the
load/resistance is increased by 25 W every two minutes.
2. For persons with a good degree of physical fitness, the starting point
is 50 W and the load is raised by 50 W every three minutes. The num-
ber of pedal turns should be between 50 and 60 per minute. If the nec-
essary equipment is available, the test should be accompanied by reg-
ular measurements of blood pressure, lactic acid and oxygen absorp-
tion. If no complications arise (in which case the test should be broken
off at once) the load is increased and the test continued until the limit
of endurance (i.e. exhaustion) is reached.
On completion of the test, pulse-rate measurements are carried out after
the first and second minute.
The figures abtained are also used as a criterion for evaluating physical
fitness.
The more rapidly the pulse rate drops within the first minute after the end
of exercising, the quicker the person’s metabolism returns to normal.
8 Guidelines for your programme of exercise
According to scientists specializing in the field of sport, the maximum
stress to which a person may be subjected is determined by the individ-
ual maximum pulse rate.
The maximum obtainable pulse rate is dependant on a person’s age. As
a rule, it declines with increasing age.
A good general rule is: maximum pulse rate per minute = 220 heartbeats
minus age in years.
For example, the maximum number of heartbeats for a 60 year-old per-
son is 220 minus 60 = 160 per minute. This figure may vary by 10 beats
either way.
The following general guidelines will help you to estimate your own per-
sonal physical capability:
■ for men, the theoretical limit of endurance is 3 Watts per kilogramm
body weight; for women, 2.5 Watts;
■ from the age of 30 onwards, physical fitness declines by approximate-
ly 1% per year for men, and 0.8% per year for women. this should be
taken into account in making calculations (see diagrams 1 and 2).
Example: you are 49 years old, male, and weigh 75 kg. In the graded
test, you broke off at a pulse rate of 175 and an “output“ of 190 Watts.
The theoretical maximum pulse rate of 220 minus age in years (i.e. 170)
has been achieved. It can therefore be assumed that the limit of en-
durance had been reached when the test was broken off.
The theoretical calculation would be: 3 (Watts x 75 (kg) = 225 Watts
minus 20% “discount for age“ (49). This means you have to achieve a
theoretical performance of 225 Watts minus 45 Watts = 180. However,
you managed 190 Watts. You “performance“ is therefore 10 Watts or ap-
prox. 5% higher than the theoretical level. Measured in this way, the ef-
ficiency of your cardiac ond circulatory systems is slightly above average.
If you train regularly and systematically, your actual performance will very
probably improve in relation to the theoretical figure.
Diagram 1 for men
Max. output should be for men
= 3 x weight x
(
1–
age – 30
)
100
Diagram 2 for women
Max. output should be for women
= 2,5 x weight x
(
1 – 0,8
age – 30
)
100
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
90
80
70
60
50
75
49
Weight
(kg)
Age (years)
70 100 150 200 250
Example
„Should-be“ values for max. output (Watt)
≈180
12
85
80
75
60
70
65
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
90
80
70
60
50
40
75
Weight
(kg)
Age (years)
≈160
Example
„Should-be“ values for max. output (Watt)
49
70 100 150 200
GB
