Clinical Exercise Physiology Lab

Akron Children’s offers cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to identify factors causing exercise intolerance and exercise-induced dyspnea (EID). It can also be useful in:

• Diagnosing and managing mitochondrial myopathy
• Differentiating between cardiac and pulmonary limitations in patients with repaired congenital heart defects
• Estimating prognosis in cystic fibrosis patients

This non-invasive testing analyzes circulatory, respiratory and metabolic functions during incremental exercise on a stationary bike or treadmill.

The CPET lab is a collaboration of pulmonary medicine, cardiology, neurology and sports medicine. The lab’s equipment includes a treadmill and exercise bike with separate monitors for metabolic parameters and EKG.

Measurements obtained during CPET include:

• Metabolic rate
  • Oxygen consumption (VO2)
  • CO2 production (VCO2)
  • Respiratory exchange ratio
• Cardiac function
  • Heart rate
  • EKG
• Respiratory function
  • Minute ventilation (VE)
  • VE /VO2 and VE /VCO2
  • SaO2
  • PETCO2

Indications for Referral

• Patients may be referred to the CPET lab to:
• Evaluate EID in patients with symptoms not consistent with EIB (exercise-induced bronchoconstriction)
• Differentiate EIB from other causes of dyspnea (e.g., de-conditioning, physiological limitation,
• early restrictive abnormalities, etc.)
• Evaluate EID in known asthmatics despite appropriate treatment
• Evaluate fitness level

For more information or to refer a patient, call 330-543-8885.