Content

Through the course, the participants will be introduced to factors that affect physical work capacity, with an emphasis on muscle mass, strength, function, and aerobic capacity. The topic of the course will be highlighted in healthy people as well as patient groups. Furthermore, focus will be placed on how to measure physiological variables (muscle strength/mass, muscle function, and oxygen uptake), both in a clinical setting as well as in larger cohorts.

The course consists of lectures and practical hands-on experience with methods to measure muscle mass, muscle strength, muscle function, and aerobic capacity. The topic of the course and the experience with the methods will be put into practice through case-based group work, with focus on study design with physical work capacity as a primary outcome.

Date

April 28-30, 2025

Location

Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Bispebjerg Hospital, Nielsine Nielsensvej 11, 2400 Copenhagen NV

Course director

Jakob Agergaard, Senior Researcher, PhD, Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Bispebjerg Hospital, jakob.agergaard@regionh.dk

Sign up for the course here

https://phdcourses.ku.dk/DetailKursus.aspx?id=112690&sitepath=SUND

Program

Day 1 - Muscle mass and strength

8.15-8.30       Welcome and introduction

8.30-9.00       Physical capacities of the human body, Senior Researcher Jakob Agergaard

9.00-9.15       Short break

9.15-10.00     Assessment of human skeletal muscle mass and strength: from athletes to old adults to clinical patients, effects of exercise intervention, Professor Per Aagaard

10.00-10.30   Coffee break

10.30-11.15   Trajectories in musculoskeletal function with aging, Professor MD. Michael Kjær

11.15-11.30   Short break

11.30-12.15   Muscle pennation angle and fascicle length: application of imaging techniques, Senior Researcher Rene Svensson

12.15-13.00   Lunch

13.00-15.45   Lab tour with hands-on experience with tests and analysis

15.45-16.00   Questions and panel discussion

Day 2 - Muscle function

8.15-9.00       Measurement of muscle function in clinical practice, Professor Morten Tange Kristensen

9.00-9.15       Short break

9.15-10.00     Assessing muscle function in working population, Professor Lars Andersen

10.00-10.30   Coffee break

10.30-11.15   Measurement of muscle function, physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in large population-based studies, Professor Mette Aadahl

11.15-11.30   Short break

11.30-12.15   Patient reported outcome measures, Professor MD. Michael Krogsgaard

12.15-13.00   Lunch

13.00-14.30   Lab tour with hands-on experience with tests and analysis

1) Functional tests, PhD. Theresa Bieler

2) Muscle power tests/Jump test, Postdoc. Anne-Sofie Agergaard

3) Muscle strength tests

14.30-14.45   Coffee break

14.45-16.00   Student presentations, Senior Researcher Jakob Agergaard

Day 3 - Aerobe work capacity

8.15-9.00       Improvements in and limitations to human aerobic performance, Assistant Professor Andreas Breenfeldt Andersen

9.00-9.15       Short break

9.15-10.00     Measurement of aerobic capacity in soccer players, Senior Researcher Jesper Løvind Andersen

10.00-10.30   Coffee break

10.30-11.15   Measuring aerobic capacity in a clinical population, Associate Professor Christian Have Dall

11.15-11.30   Short break

11.30-12.15   Estimating cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂max) at rest using Seismocardiography, Ph.D. student Mikkel Hansen

12.15-13.00   Lunch

13.00-14.00   Lab tour with hands-on experience with tests and analysis

- VO2 max measurements – CPET and seismocardiography, Associate Prof. Christian Have Dall and Ph.D. student Mikkel Hansen

14.00-14.15   Coffee break

14.15-15.45   Group work, Senior Researcher Jakob Agergaard

15.45-16.00   Questions and evaluation​