Putting Athletes to the Test: a ProHealth Evaluation
24. Nov, 2010 
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Athletes tend to be very health conscious as a group. We get better performance when we eat right and our bodies are strong and well-trained for an event. Even casual cyclists are fit and more likely to watch what they eat than the average population. We work hard at living healthy! The question is how do we really know if we are doing a good job of maintaining our bodies? We work out hard, but are we eating right? What about that little niggling injury that crops up regularly? Perhaps our monthly cycles get out of whack every once in awhile or we have felt absolutely exhausted in the last few weeks. Instead of seeing the doctor only for the annual gynecological exam and occasional sports injury, what if we could get a complete physical exam and lab work that was suited for the athletic adult?
Athletes appreciate having a complete physical fitness test to assess aerobic fitness
Preventative healthcare has come a long way. Doctors are testing for chronic diseases and other problems and are able to help control issues such as high blood pressure before they lead to heart problems. It’s even better when a doctor can advise lifestyle changes before it even gets to that point. Endurance athletes often pass general physicals with flying colors and are told they are in great shape. But for them, perhaps the standards of the exam need to be raised and they can find areas that they too need to improve in. Athletes can benefit from a very complete lab test, a physical test that pushes them and may show their physical imbalances and a good look at their nutrition, sleep issues, lung function, body composition, etc. Some athletes are strong, but could work on cardio, while some endurance athletes such as runners have the cardio, but aren’t very flexible. There are also special medication issues with triathletes and endurance athletes. Some medications can negatively affect race performance, and better alternatives can be prescribed. The final issue is that we are all growing older. If you’re a non-smoking, healthy woman, you can expect to live to be nearly 86 years old. The idea is to age well and be a healthy 86-year old who can still get out there and ride a bike!
The ProHealth Lab in Park City, Utah has put together a comprehensive health evaluation which focuses on
helping an individual become as healthy as possible and to help them stay healthy and fit into old age. The focus of the ProHealth evaluation is on prevention and wellness, so it is a great fit for those who are trying to learn more about their health and turn things around, just as it is for those who are striving for optimal physical fitness. As a cyclist, you could say this is a physical exam that compares to a typical physical like a carbon fiber frame bike compares to an old steel frame. There are some amazing differences that a cyclist could appreciate!
Want to get your own Comprehensive Pro-Health Evaluation? (The Pro Health Lab is offering this evaluation to one of our lucky readers!–See below!)
The Comprehensive ProHealth evaluation is very thorough; it includes comprehensive panel (hs-CRP, lipid profile, complete blood count with clotting time, comprehensive metabolic panel, fasting glucose/insulin, homecysteine & urinalysis) core x-rays, body composition, a test of respiratory function, dynamic postural anaylsis and tests of flexbility and stength and then a submax cardio stress test. I was excited to get a complete exam and was as curious about how physically fit I really was, and was also determined to know the weaknesses such a physical would uncover, and finally, I really wanted to know deep down inside my fat percentage and my aerobic capacity. The following photos will give an idea of the physical testing of strength, flexibility and cardio.
The step-over test requires the combined use of strength, flexibility and balance. A high score on this test indicates good control of both core and extremity muscles.
The 60-second step test assesses the muscular endurance of each leg.
The upper body's strength can be tested with doing chest press exercises. (It's a lot harder with the straps!)
The next test is upper body row exercises. The second I slow down, the count is stopped!
This is a flexibility test of trunk rotation and is done to the right and to the left.
This is the squat test. Squatting is a fundamental posture for joint health. It unloads the vertabrae, fully flexes the hip, utilizes 40% of the knee joint that otherwise is not used, and is healthy for the foot and ankle joints. (I can't do it as well as Jon-David and score a 6 out of 8.)
The Sit and Reach test assesses hamstring flexibility. Poor hamstring flexibility is common and is associated with hamstring strain, low back pain and poor posture. (My score: 90%--I need to work on it!)
Testing shoulder flexibility is important because the shoulder joint is the most mobile, major joint in the human body. Because of this, it may be prone to injury. Bilateral flexibility is assessed with a couple different tests.
This position is like stopping at mid-point through a sit-up. I had to hold it as long as possible to test my abdominal endurance.
Jon-David held my legs as I held this position hanging off the table at my waist. It is the Spinal Extensor test to test my back muscle endurance and determine my risk for back injuries. Adequate core strength is also essential to maintain a healthy posture and is fundamental for enhancing extremity strength.
I had the choice to do the aerobic function tests on a stationary bike or the treadmill. I chose the treadmill. But I didn't know that every 3 minutes it would get a little steeper and a bit faster. I had to rate the effort a 0-10 for difficulty every 3 minutes.
While I am doing the running test, my heart rate and blood pressure are being evaluated. (Not fun running with a blood pressure cuff as it gets steeper and I worry about falling off the back!)
Posture is evaluated and assessed in a series of tests that also include checking posture while walking.
What the photos don’t show is the x-rays, the measuring of my body composition, lung tests, blood work and more. I also fill out subjective evaluations of my nutrition, physical activity, mood/attitude and sleep habits. After the testing, comes the report card of course! A few days later, I was excited to get the report card and see how I did. The physical testing went even better than I hoped, but I could see that flexibility was something I have to work harder on. The blood work showed anemia (a chronic problem for me–and many other female athletes!), and it also showed that I was just about to come down with an infection (I was fighting an illness the next week!) The core x-rays showed “clean hips” with very good bone density and very minor lumbar spine issues. Finally, even the subjective evaluations showed that I probably should get more sleep and try to get more daily servings of fruits and vegetables! The ProHealth Lab also gave me literature to read with tips to improve in the areas I was weak in. (They also had me follow up with my family doctor about some of the blood work.) All in all, it was a valuable evaluation which gave me a better idea of what I need to focus on improving, helped me understand more about my body and reassured me about some other issues.
Ideally, this evaluation would be paired with a physician’s exam and it should include skin screening to check suspicious lesions. Athletes who exercise outside are exposed to the sun and do run risks with skin cancer. I’d love to see this complete evaluation be available in clinics across the country. Insurance does not cover the costs of this test now, but I’m told they are working on it. Also, a more advanced fitness evaluation is available for athletes in training at ProHealth Labs and is administered by Dr. Max Testa, a expert in exercise medicine. If you feel your training has hit a plateau or you are just wanting to improve your health, these are great evaluations to have. The feedback is extremely helpful; you are no longer just “shooting in the dark” as you set your physical goals. You can see right there on the report card any changes that you need to make to achieve your goals.
The ProHealth Lab in Park City, Utah is offering a Comprehensive Pro-Health 100 Evaluation (valued at $375–or $450 when it includes the core x-rays for those 40 and up) for one of our readers. The catch is that it is only available in Park City, so it works best for Utah residents, but if you are planning a vacation to Park City this winter, you could schedule the test then….
To be entered into this contest, make a comment below. Please give your first name and a legit e-mail address. Contest will run from now until December 8, 2010. Names will be drawn at random. If you win, but are not able to do this evaluation, we will chose another winner by re-drawing a name.
Thanks to Jon-David Ethington (PA-C) and Dr. Thomas D. Rosenberg of the ProHealth Lab!
I would LOVE to take advantage of comprehensive testing like this!
I know I’m out of the running but this really is cool!!
i appreciate the focus of the ProHealth evaluation which is on prevention and wellness,which is a great fit for those who are trying to learn more about their health and turn things around, especially for athletes whose major investment and concern is their body. Coupling medical tests such as x-ray, body scan, complete blood profile along with assessing and restoring physical fitness is again a good think
Good job ‘Pro-Health’
When you perform a push up, you have to press approximately 70% of your body weight. With pull ups you have to be able to pull 100% of your weight up to the bar. If you don’t have the strength to do correct push ups or pull ups, for a significant number of repetitions, you can’t get any positive results or you don’t even try. One of the best aspects of the Push Up Bench is that you start off with immediate success. As you move through each level you can achieve your goal many times over-which in turn motivates you to keep exercising. The Push Up Bench is designed to make push ups and pull ups easier. This will allow for a greater number of repetitions. You can start at the highest level, which means you only have to push 28% of your body weight instead of 70%. The Push Up Bench transfers the weight from your upper body to your feet- decreasing the amount of weight you have to press. Now you can do push ups with perfect form- which allows you to get full range of motion and hit all the muscle groups the push up exercise has to offer. As you get stronger, you can increase the weight you have to push by going through each level until your on the ground doing normal push ups. You can also increase the load on your arms by doing decline push ups. The Push Up Bench is adjustable to fit each person’s height from approximately 4’8 to 6’4. You don’t have to stop once you reach a full push up. The Push Up Bench also makes pull ups easier. By sitting inside the Bench you are able to perform seated or assisted pull ups. If your looking to tone your arms, increase your strength, need help passing a physical fitness test or just want to look and feel better, the Push Up Bench can help you achieve your goals. To learn more google “push up bench”
Wish I could qualify for this as well, I’m all the way over on the east coast…I think it’s really great that places like this are focusing on Prventative healthcare, as a dietitian I truly believe that’s where more of our focus needs to be….way to be on the forefront of this!
It sounds fascinating! Please enter my name into the contest. I would love to have such a comprehensive examination done.
I would love to get that done. I never go to the doctor, due to lack of health insurance it would be great to see how my hips are doing and what I need to do to better my health. I hope I can qualify!!
Need to kick-start my fitness after baby #2. This would be awesome!!
Awesome that this is available in PC,land of the fitness geeks! This is valuable info for all people to seriously assess their fitness level. Thanks!
Sounds great! Would love to be entered.
Would love to do this! Total comprehensive functional assessment means ‘long live adventure girls’!
This takes a complete view of your lifestyle which I think is spot on to what is needed. So many times we use the scale or a 5k run time to tell us how fit we are. I love the entire review of cardio, strength, and flexibility.
Great web site continue the good info.
I have always considered myself an athlete and one who has competed in many events over the years but I have never done anything like this and think it would be so interesting to really see where my strengths and weaknesses are how I can improve my fitness level. Thanks for the article!