In recreational golfers it has been reported that the back is the most commonly injured part of the body. Back pain, more specifically lower back pain, results from an overuse or poor condition of the core muscles. Due to golf being a repetitive movement of swinging, this exuberates the stress placed on the back and increases the risk of injury.

A Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) is a non-invasive method used to assess the performance of the heart and lungs at rest and during exercise. The Short-Graded Exercise Test (SGET) is an example of a CPET, which is an excellent method of measuring an individual’s VO2max. It is comprised of multiple 1 minute stages, where the exercise intensity is progressively increased (the graded element), resulting in the subject exercising to fatigue. The intensity of the exercise can be increased in a number of ways such as increasing the resistance applied by a flywheel, increasing the incline that the exercise is being carried out at or increasing the speed at which the exercise is being conducted. This test can be carried on a number of different ergometers, exercise machines which are equipped with apparatus that measure the work performed by exercising. SSC offer the test on either a Cycling, Running or Rowing ergometer.

Due to the explosive nature of golf, the tension and stress that the body is put through in repetitive swinging commonly results in injuries. There are multiple explanations for injuries in golf, such as poor technique, lack of warm-up and an incorrect grip.
 

SSC offer a variety of tests to assess various aspects of fitness, including functional movement screenings (FMS), biomechanical gait analysis, and physiological assessment. Our physiological assessments include either a long-graded exercise test (LGET) or a short-graded exercise test (SGET) paired with breath-by-breath gas analysis and/or lactate sampling. These tests are essential for cyclists and runners to identify accurately current levels of fitness and areas for improvement.
Both the LGET and SGET are types of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Tests (CPET) and give us several vital pieces of information for determining how to train to improve your endurance running or cycling performance.