Telemetric Spiroergometry — VO2 Max & Cardiorespiratory Performance Test

Sportklinik offers field-based telemetric spiroergometry using the COSMED K4B2 — a portable, wireless metabolic analyser weighing under 500 g that transmits over 30 cardiorespiratory parameters in real time from up to 1,000 m away. Unlike laboratory treadmill tests, the COSMED K4B2 is used in the athlete's actual sport environment: on a running track, ice rink, court, or football pitch. This means the VO2 max and ventilatory threshold data captured reflects genuine performance conditions rather than an approximation of them. MUDr. Jiří Neumann, as Czech Olympic Team chief medical officer, has applied this protocol with elite athletes across multiple disciplines. The resulting report includes VO2 max, VCO2, heart rate response curves, respiratory exchange ratio, and ventilatory threshold identification — the inputs coaches and physiologists need to set training zones and monitor adaptation.

Telemetric spiroergometry at Sportklinik is centred on the COSMED K4B2, a portable metabolic breath-by-breath analyser developed in Italy and used internationally in elite sports science and military fitness assessment. The unit is worn like a backpack harness across the athlete's torso and weighs under 500 g — light enough to be worn during swimming, cycling, rowing, or court sports without materially altering movement mechanics. A telemetry transmitter sends real-time data to a receiving station up to 1,000 m away, where the clinician monitors 30+ parameters live: VO2 (oxygen consumption), VCO2 (carbon dioxide production), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), minute ventilation (VE), heart rate, breathing frequency, and derived metrics including VO2 max, aerobic and anaerobic thresholds (VT1 and VT2), and caloric expenditure by substrate. The critical advantage over laboratory spiroergometry on a treadmill or ergometer is ecological validity. Laboratory protocols impose a standardised, artificial movement pattern that may not replicate the biomechanics or muscle recruitment of the athlete's actual sport. Field testing with the COSMED K4B2 captures metabolic demand as it occurs in competition conditions — meaning the VO2 max and threshold values derived are directly applicable to sport-specific training prescription. MUDr. Jiří Neumann has applied this protocol as Czech Olympic Team chief medical officer across disciplines including ice hockey, athletics, and team sports. The protocol is structured by the physician and adapted to the athlete's current fitness base and competitive cycle (pre-season baseline vs. in-season check vs. post-injury return-to-sport). Data output is processed into a structured performance report covering: VO2 max absolute and relative (ml/kg/min) with percentile ranking by age and sex; aerobic threshold heart rate and speed/power; anaerobic threshold heart rate and speed/power; heart rate recovery; economy of movement; and sport-specific training zone demarcations (Zone 1 through Zone 5 based on ventilatory thresholds). Coaching staff receive zone-translated recommendations for interval, tempo, and base training. The test is relevant to any athlete or health-conscious individual seeking an objective baseline of cardiorespiratory fitness. High VO2 max is one of the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality and healthy lifespan in population studies — making field spiroergometry as valuable for longevity-oriented individuals as for performance athletes. Pre-test requirements include 48 hours without intensive training, no alcohol in the 24 hours prior, and normal health (no acute illness). Contact the clinic to discuss protocol, scheduling through partner facilities, and pricing.