Veloergometry

• You should not eat (you can have a light snack one hour before the test) or drink caffeinated beverages 2-3 hours before the test, but it is not necessary to arrive completely fasted.
• Alcohol should be avoided for at least 24 hours before the test.
• On the morning of the cycling day, you should not take beta-blockers – a special group of drugs that reduce the heart rate. Examples: bisoprolol (Concor), metaprolol (Betalok), nebivolol (Nebilet), betaxolol (Betax).
• No smoking on the day of the test.
• You should bring comfortable clothing – sports trousers or shorts, a loose T-shirt or sports bra – and sports shoes.
• Previous electrocardiogram or echocardiogram results should be taken.
• If you have signs of a cold, such as a high temperature, cough, runny nose or feeling unwell, it may be better to postpone the test to another day.

• Before the examination, you should change into the sportswear you brought with you or remove your upper body to your underwear.
• The specialist collects information about the medical history to identify possible contraindications or signs that prevent the test.
• Electrodes are attached to the chest, back, arms and legs to record an electrocardiogram, which measures the activity of the heart during the test.
• Before starting the veloergometry, an electrocardiogram is recorded at rest. If possible, it is compared with previous electrocardiograms (if an ECG is available, not a description).
• During the test, the pedals of the cycle trainer must be pedalled at a certain speed. The resistance or difficulty level of the bike trainer is low to start with and gradually increases at set intervals, usually every 3 minutes. During the examination, the heart rate is gradually increased by increasing the workload until a certain pulse rate is reached, determined by the patient’s age and physical condition. The test should be stopped sooner if the patient is too tired to continue, or if the patient develops symptoms that make it necessary to stop.
• During the examination, the doctor monitors changes in the electrocardiogram to record abnormal heart rhythms, changes in blood pressure, signs of bleeding disorders in the heart or other changes in the electrical impulse conduction of the heart. During the cycling test, the doctor asks you to tell him/her about any sensations you are feeling: tiredness, chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness. If complaints appear, the load is prematurely stopped.
• Once the heart rate has reached a certain level, the intensity of the exercise is slowly reduced, allowing the heart rate to return to near rest. Heart rate, blood pressure and ECG continue to be monitored for some time after exercise to monitor for any abnormal afterload responses.

The total duration of the examination with preparation is 40-60 minutes, with a maximum of 15 minutes for the examination under load.

Results can be obtained immediately after the test.