The Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides two definitions of ergometer, which also is known as a dynamometer. The first is "an apparatus for measuring the work performed (as by a person exercising)", and the second describes it as "an exercise machine equipped with an ergometer." The word frequently is associated with an exercise machine equipped with a devise capable of measuring and reporting how much and how hard someone exercises. There are, however, other variations and refinements of the definition.
Definitions of Ergometer
Biology Online defines ergometry as "any method of measuring the amount of work done by an organism, usually during exertion." By extension then, an ergometer would refer to any device that measures the amount of work done by an organism, usually during exertion. Encyclo, The Online Encyclopedia, summarizes other definitions, for example, "a stationary cycle used for training or for laboratory tests to measure work performed," "an instrument for measuring the force of muscular contraction," "a device for measuring, or an instrument for indicating, energy expended or work done; a dynamometer" and "an instrument that measures the amount of work performed during muscular activity."
Common Types of Ergometers
Many ergometers are equipped with foot pedals, hand pedals or both. Treadmills and rowing machines also commonly are used in ergometry. In addition to referring to equipment used to measure how much work or exercise a person performs, the word ergometer "is also the general term used to describe a variety of hand, foot, or combination exercise devices that allow people to exercise their upper and lower extremities while in a stationary position," according to the United Cerebral Palsy's website Exercise Cycles and Ergometers.
How An Ergometer Works
Simple ergometers tell you how fast you are exercising with or without a timer. More advanced machines are computerized and capable of collecting and recording much more data, including how much work a person has performed, how much force was generated and how the subject's body responded physiologically during the exercise session. Thus, a person's breathing, heart rate and body temperature can be correlated with the amount of work performed during an exercise session and compared with past and future sessions for training purposes.
Example of an Ergometer
NASA designed and used a bicycle ergometer for use by astronauts for experiments and for personal use on Skylab. This device allowed "a crewman to exercise in zero-gravity using either his hands or his feet." It provided "a precisely calibrated and, if needed, a programmable standard of work rate for the crewman." It had three programmable modes: A heart rate mode that adjusted the amount of work required to pedal it to achieve a set heart rate, a sequenced heart rate mode that allowed users to set five different heart rate goals lasting a predetermined period, and a set work rate mode that delivered "a preset work load to the subject."
