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WELCOME PACKSPORTS LAB

WELCOME TO BEACON HOSPITAL’SSPORTS MEDICINE PROGRAMMEWhether it’s injury treatment or performance management you’re looking for, we have the expertise to help you to Reach your Potential.The Philosophy of Beacon Hospital Sports Medicine is to assess and treat the underlying cause of the problem, not just your symptoms.Our new state-of-the-art high performance Sports Lab with VO2max and Isokinetic Strength Testing provides athletes with the ideal environment to optimise performance.We believe in a team based approach to injury prevention and management with rapid access to highly skilled professionals specialising in Sports Medicine, Orthopaedics, Musculoskeletal Radiology and Sports Rehabilitation. Our team is led by Dr Alan Byrne, internationally renowned Consultant in Sports and Exercise Medicine. We have:• 17 Orthopaedic surgeons with expertise across all subspecialties.• Exercise Physiologist and Ironman Certified Coach with expertise in coaching athletes from novice to international level.• Access to the latest technology in strength and performance assessment.• A dedicated Masters qualified Physiotherapy team with specialist training in sports injury assessment, rehabilitation, strength and conditioning.• Physiotherapists with specialised training in Biomechanical assessment and Orthotic Prescription. Physiological Performance TestingPhysiological performance testing is important for anyone interested in their health and wellbeing. It is equally important to someone returning to exercise or looking to improve their health as it is to an athlete looking to maximise their performance.Physiological exercise testing ensures that whatever exercise goals you have, be it your

first Park run or to improve your marathon or Ironman personal best, our experts can tailor your training plan based on your individual physiological performance.The tests are standardized, accurate, reliable and reproducible.This ensures that as training progresses, the client can retest and measure accurately the level of improvement and guarantee the next phase of training is based on the most accurate and up to date results.Testing will be tailored to your own individual goals - you may complete some or allof the tests described below. Cardio-Pulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) The Cardio-Pulmonary Exercise Test can be conducted to maximal or submaximal exercise capacity depending on each client’s history or athletic background. The CPET can be performed on a treadmill, cycle ergometer or Wattbike. The test consists of exercising continuously for between 8 to 12 minutes, while connected to a heart rate monitor with a mask over the nose and mouth. The mask is then linked to a gas analyser. The exercise intensity will be very low to begin with, progressing to the required intensity i.e. submaximal or maximal eort.Parameters measured during the test include maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), Lactate (anaerobic) Threshold, Heart rate training zones, Substrate utilisation and Energy expenditure.The most important reasons for having a CPET are;• The test is regarded both clinically and within sport and exercise science as the “gold standard” in metabolic measurement.• To identify your VO2max which refers to the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can utilise during intense or maximal eort.

• The most accurate method to establish an individual’s heart rate training zones.• To identify and monitor an individual’s ability to perform sustained exercise at a given intensity.• The most accurate method to establish energy requirements and substrate utilisation at any given exercise intensity. Wattbike Analysis For cyclists and triathletes, a Wattbike analysis can be very useful as a method of measuring and improving cycling eciency and performance. The test requires you to cycle at dierent intensities to determine how eective your pedal stroke is. The analysis can indicate whether there are any asymmetries between each leg and aspects of your stroke which could be adjusted to improve force.The following data can all be measured using the Wattbike;• Average and peak cadence• Average and peak power• Left to right leg balance• Pedal stroke eciency• Heart rate• Speed• Distance

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) TestMore and more cyclists and triathletes are incorporating power meters into their training. We oer the standardised power test as used by many of the world’s leading cycling teams. As with the CPET, the Functional Threshold Power test (FTP) provides a standardised and individual test which can be accurately reproduced as required to re-evaluate an athlete’s progress. The FTP ensures athletes are gaining the optimal eect from their training.Following setup on the Wattbike and attachment of heart rate monitor, a warm up is undertaken. After this the athlete rides an all-out 20-minute time trial to their best eort.The FTP provides the same data generated from the Wattbike analysis plus the following parameters:• Functional Threshold Power• Power to weight ratioThese parameters are used to identify strengths and weaknesses in the athlete’s performance and can be used to design specific, individual training programmes to ensure the athlete continues to progress. The eectiveness of each programme can be monitored by carrying out a standardised retest. Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) test This test involves the client fasting for a period of 4 hours, then lying still on a couch while connected via a face mask to a gas analyser for 15 minutes. The data produced from this test includes the clients resting metabolic rate i.e. how many calories per day an individual burns before lifestyle/training, for example, are accounted for. Unfortunately, most people tend to overestimate the number of calories they burn through their activities of daily life and training thereby underestimating their calorie intake. RMR can account for 65 to 80% of calories burned by an individual each day. This is what is referred to as our metabolism and is critical in understanding what our metabolic rate is and whether this is high or low. Our RMR can have important implications on diet, weight management and athletic performance. Bod Pod Analysis The Bod Pod is regarded as the gold standard body composition tracking system. The reality of weight management for both the athlete and non-athlete is very simple, and is dependent on the number of calories you consume verses the number of calories you burn. This Energy Balance Equation will determine an individual’s body composition.The Bod Pod is used to measure and track body mass and body composition, i.e. percent and absolute amounts of body fat and lean body mass. The Bod Pod is also indicated for

estimating RMR and Total Energy Expenditure (TEE). It utilises the principles of whole-body densitometry. This is based on the determination of body density by measuring body mass and volume. The procedure takes approximately 5 mins to complete and involves the client wearing form fitting Lycra/spandex type swim shorts or swimsuit, or compression type shorts and sports bra without any padding. Watches and jewellery should also be removed.Once calibration is completed the client will be asked to step on the scales.Following this, a swim hat is put on to cover the hair. The client then sits in the Bod Pod chamber for approximately 4 mins. During this time the door will be closed and opened 2 or 3 times. The client will be asked to sit as still as possible and breathe normally throughout. On completion of the test the client will be asked to step out of the chamber and the results printed out prior to full explanation. Date generated by the Bod Pod includes;• Body fat percentage• Fat free mass percentage• Fat mass (Kg)• Fat free mass (Kg)• Body mass (Kg)• Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)• Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) Strength Performance Testing and Movement AnalysisStrength performance testing is an excellent method of determining your maximum power or endurance in muscle groups in the upper and lower limb. This is extremely beneficial for sporting teams pre-season and athletes at the beginning of their racing calendar. The knowledge of knowing your baseline strength markers is useful in identifying what you may need to improve upon or markers to return to if injured in the future.Where the strength testing will identify any weakness, the movement and biomechanics assessment can help to condition the body to reach your aims. This analysis is focused on how the whole body interacts as a unit and can address ineciencies through video and biomechanical analysis alongside a clinical assessment.

Strength & Power Testing At Beacon Sports Medicine we use a variety of methods to measure your strength. We use both Isokinetic testing and wearable technology to measure the dierent variables of strength. Isokinetic Strength testing is an extremely accurate way of measuring the strength/power variables of a given area of the body. In our Lab we use the Biodex system. This involves using state-of-the-art machinery, which provides varying levels of resistance, to measure your strength in that area of your body. This can be used to assess your rehabilitation needs, your rate of progression and identify particular weaknesses which may predispose you to injury. This method of strength testing is used extensively in research and rehabilitation in a sports setting.Further to isokinetic strength testing we can also assess your functional strength for injury rehabilitation or enhancing performance. This includes a variety of resistance tests using our gym equipment. We can also use wearable sensor technology to measure your power more accurately. This could include measuring the height you can jump and the amount of time you spend in the air while jumping. This gives an accurate representation of how much force your legs can produce. The wearable technology measures these variables.

Video analysis Dartfish is a video analysis technology app that allows physiotherapists to evaluate specific aspects of a functional movement, weightlifting technique and throwing pattern. This software is used for a variety of athletes including those who want to improve their running pattern for events, jump technique or movement to optimise their performance or as part of their rehabilitation following an operation or injury. The software is extremely useful in picking up subtle aspects of running action and changes in function during the rehabilitation phase when patients are aiming to return to sport. The physiotherapists will video your action using the app, analyse the recording and upload this to your Dartfish account for you to view in your own time. In that recording, your physiotherapist will review what matters and use analytical tools to gather valid movement data. This is extremely useful for patients as the app provides an opportunity to review the target movement as many times as they wish in their own time and see aspects which could be improved upon. A further benefit of Dartfish is that the video is accompanied by feedback from the physiotherapist thereby reducing the pressure on the patient to process the information all at once within an appointment.Dartfish enables the physiotherapist to record an athlete’s performance in each visit and analyse those changes objectively. Dartfish is considered a market leader in the online performance arena and is used by many high-profile sporting bodies and teams internationally. Biomechanical assessmentA biomechanical assessment examines a person’s flexibility, strength, and control of movement. It involves analysing the relationship between the dierent joints in the body, for example looking at how the foot and ankle can aect the knee and hip and vice versa. If you suer with pains in your feet, lower limbs, or back then a biomechanical assessment can help identify the root cause of your problem. As well as assessing flexibility, strength and functional movements, such as a squat or lunge, a biomechanical assessment may also involve assessment for foot orthoses. This can all be done in the Beacon Sports Medicine department where our chartered physiotherapists are trained in orthotic assessment and prescription. A biomechanical assessment is not just for athletes or sports people, it can be of benefit to people of all ages. By identifying areas of weakness our physiotherapists can then design an individualised exercise programme to get you working on the path towards recovery.

Consultation/follow up In discussion with our team a combination of the above tests will be proposed in line with your individual goals. Following completion of the Physiological Performance Testing, a full debrief and explanation of the results and their implication for training/exercise performance will be provided, by our experienced coaches and physiotherapists.For those training for endurance events we provide the opportunity to enrol on Training Peaks. This is an online training platform which is mobile friendly and enables smart and eective endurance training. This is delivered by our exercise physiologist using your scores achieved in the physiological tests allowing individualised analysis and planning of your training programme. We have a fully equipped gym for performance of gym and home based exercises and our physiotherapy team can design strength and conditioning programmes to get you working towards your goals. In our physiotherapy department we also run group-based classes in Pilates and back rehabilitation.

How do I book an appointment? To book an appointment, email our sports medicine team at sportsmedicine@beaconhospital.ie How long will an appointment take? Your first appointment will take an hour and a half. The exercise physiologist will complete your Bod Pod analysis and VO2max assessment. Return appointments tailored to your goals can also be arranged. Good to know before appointment:1. Wear exercise/training gear, such as a t-shirt, shorts and runners.2. The VO2max test is an assessment of your cardiovascular fitness. Therefore please avoid strenuous exercise in the 24hrs prior to your appointment. 3. Depending on which tests you will be performing you may be asked to fast for up to 4 hours before your appointment but this will be discussed with you if applicable. If this is not applicable to you then you should just avoid eating directly before your appointment as you would when performing your normal exercise routine.

Beacon Hospital Sandyford, Dublin 18 D18 AK68Tel: 01 293 6600www.beaconhospital.ie