Health and Wellbeing

Welcome to the Health and Wellbeing section of the Human Performance Centre. Your journey to optimal health begins here with our tailored services, which merge scientific analysis with personalised guidance. With offerings including our comprehensive Wellbeing Package and specialised assessments for Lung Function, Body Composition, Blood Analysis, and Cardiac Function, we delve into every aspect of your health. No matter your age or fitness level, we empower you to understand your body and make informed decisions about your wellbeing. Join us in your journey to health and wellness at the Human Performance Centre.

Wellbeing Package 


HPC Wellbeing Package: A comprehensive health check-up that includes:

  • Blood pressure
  • Body composition (SECA BIA)
  • Glucose and cholesterol blood measures
  • Grip strength tests

This package is designed to give you a broad overview of your current health status.

Price: £150.00

Duration: 90 minutes

Email humanperformanceinfo@beds.ac.uk to book

Body Composition


This quick, non-invasive assessment uses a small electrical current to estimate body composition, including fat mass, lean mass, and body water. This information is crucial for tailoring diet and exercise plans and tracking progress over time.

Price: £30.00
Duration: 20 minutes

Benefits:

  • Repeat tests can show changes in performance following training programs or over a season
  • A quick method of assessing body composition that is non-invasive

This body fat analysis involves using calipers to take measurements of body fat. Measurements are taken across 7 sites on the body, by ‘pinching’ the fat under the skin at the sites with the calipers. The measurements are put into a formula to provide a body fat percentage. You will be required to be in minimal sports clothing and to get most accurate results it is advised to take each measurement 3 times to take an average. This is useful for anyone embarking on a weight management program or just looking to optimise body fat to improve performance.

Price: £100.00
Duration: 60 minutes

Benefits:

  • Repeat tests can show changes in body composition following training programs or over a season
  • A report will include the detailed breakdown of results and recommended practices for lowering body fat mass

Hydrostatic weighing is commonly known as “underwater weighing”. This method of measuring body composition uses the hydrodensitometry technique to accurately measure lean tissue which is denser than body fat tissue. Those with more body fat will weigh less underwater than their dry land weight measurement. This method involves being in minimal clothing (swimwear) and being weighed before and after being submerged under water. You will be required to expel all the air from your lungs whilst under water.

Price: £250.00
Duration: 60 minutes

Benefits:

  • Repeat tests can show changes in body composition following training programs or over a season
  • Additional reporting can include the detailed breakdown of results and recommended practices for lowering body fat mass

Cardiac Function / Screening


Performing a resting 12 lead ECG allows information on the electrical activity of the heart to be translated on to special ECG graph paper. Whilst some variations on the heart’s activity can be normal, undetected abnormal variations can be problematic particularly if an individual engages in the high-intensity activity. A resting 12 lead ECG involves have 12 electrode tags stuck to the chest so you are required to be in minimal clothing (sportswear), corresponding leads are attached to the machine to report the electrical activity of the heart while you lie rested.

Price: £130.00
Duration: 45 minutes

Benefits:

  • An essential heart screening tool for any individual whether healthy or experiencing symptoms
  • Referral is issued in the event of an abnormality is found
  • An additional report can include the details of the ECG trace for your reference

An ECG stress test reports the electrical activity of the heart whilst under stress. The ECG is conducted whilst you exercise to around 85% of your maximum heart rate. This is designed to view if any abnormal variations can be detected when stress or high-intensity exercise are recreated in this controlled environment. This may be a requirement in certain occupations or certain sports such as motorsport.

Price: £150.00
Duration: 60 minutes

Benefits:

  • An essential heart screening tool for any individual whether healthy or experiencing symptoms
  • Referral is issued in the event of an abnormality is found
  • An additional report can include the details of the ECG trace for your reference

An echocardiogram, or "echo", is a scan used to look at the heart and nearby blood vessels. It's a type of ultrasound scan, which means a small probe is used to send out high-frequency sound waves that create echoes when they bounce off different parts of the body. This test analyses the structure and modelling of the heart, as well as being able to detail blood flow. This is an essential tool to detect; heart disease, damage following a heart attack or problems or infections in the heart valves. The unit runs around the area of the heart on the chest, so you will be required to be in minimal clothing (sportswear).

Price: £230.00
Duration: 60 minutes

Benefits:

  • An essential heart screening tool for any individual particularly if previous cardiovascular incidence or disease has occurred
  • Referral is issued in the event of an abnormality is found

Lung Function


Lung function tests assess the health of the lungs and can also reveal the impact of sedentary lifestyles or smoking. Your height and weight are measured in order to predict lung size. You will be required to sit up straight, take a deep breath in and then forcefully exhale into a tube. This gives values that represent lung size and lung power, these are indicative of obstructive patterns in the airways or restrictive patterns on the lungs. Genetics is a large determinant of lung size and power, however, losing weight and improving cardiorespiratory fitness can induce positive changes.

Price: £125.00
Duration: 30 minutes

Benefits:

  • Repeat tests can show changes in lung function following improved body composition and improved cardiorespiratory fitness
  • The measurements can aid in the diagnosis of conditions such as; asthma, COPD, bronchitis or emphysema
  • Additional reporting can include the detailed breakdown of results and recommended practices for improving lung function

Asthma is described as a reversible constriction of the airways. Some individuals exhibit this constriction following intensive exercise and this manifested as an impaired FEV1 (lung power). The result of an intense exercise session or very cold or dry air exposure can be troublesome asthma symptoms for some people. The test involves undergoing a bout of exercise followed by performing lung function assessments. This is an essential test for those who have noticed difficulty breathing after exercise or winter sports athletes.

Price: £140.00
Duration: 60 minutes

Benefits:

  • Repeat tests can show changes in lung function during exercise following changes in medical practices
  • Additional reporting can include the detailed breakdown of results and recommended practices for combatting exercise-induced asthma

Blood Measurements


Blood glucose levels change throughout the day in response to food consumption and daily activity. Fasting blood glucose is an initial assessment of diabetes risk. Possessing high fasting blood glucose levels is indicative of diabetes risk as well as being a precursor to many cardiovascular conditions also. Isolated incidents of raised blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia) do not pose much concern but consistently raised blood sugar levels can have significant health implications. You will be required to fast for several hours before your test, the sample will be taken via a finger-prick blood test.

Price: £25.00
Duration: 10 minutes

Benefits:

  • Repeat tests can show changes in fasting blood glucose levels following diet and lifestyle changes
  • Less invasive than performing venipuncture blood collection
  • A quick assessment of blood glucose levels

Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance found in the blood. It is essential for certain cell and hormone functions, however, having excess low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or ‘bad’ cholesterol, can leave deposits on the artery walls. This may cause the arteries to harden, narrow or block entirely. Equally, adequate high-density lipoprotein levels (HDL) or ‘good’ cholesterol help prevent cardiovascular disease. This test is a quick and reliable method of comprehensively screening an integral factor in cardiovascular health. The cholesterol test involves taking a small amount of blood via a finger prick sample.

Price: £25.00
Duration: 30 minutes

Benefits:

  • Repeat tests can show changes in cholesterol levels following lifestyle improvements
  • Less invasive than performing venipuncture blood collection
  • A quick assessment of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Haemoglobin is within the red blood cells and is responsible for transporting oxygen around the body. Haematocrit is the measure of red blood cells within the total volume of blood. The results of this test may explain symptoms of fatigue or anaemia as well revealing if someone has excessive haemoglobin level which can be problematic in blood clots and blood flow. Not just useful for health screening, in a performance setting, these markers are indicative of oxygen-carrying oxygen-carrying capacity- an essential component particularly in endurance sports. Blood samples are conducted via a finger-prick blood sample.

Price: £25.00
Duration: 10 minutes

Benefits:

  • Repeat tests can show changes in haemoglobin and haematocrit levels following training programs or over a season
  • Less invasive than performing venipuncture blood collection
  • A quick assessment of haemoglobin and haematocrit levels

Considered a more substantial indicator of diabetes than a finger-prick blood test alone, this test analyses if the body has difficulty metabolising the intake of carbohydrates/sugar. You will be asked to avoid certain foods for a period of time prior to the test. A finger-prick blood glucose test is conducted before consuming a sweet glucose drink. Subsequent blood tests are conducted at intervals after the drink or a single test after 2 hours. Best practice is to be rested during this period so it would be advised to bring some reading material so you can sit comfortably for the duration.

Price: £175.00
Duration: 60 minutes

Benefits:

  • A more comprehensive assessment to aid in the diagnosis of diabetes or insulin resistance
  • An additional detailed report can provide further information on how to combat the onset of diabetes or better management of the condition

Energy Expenditure


This is a measurement of the rate at which metabolic processes occur to support body tissues and break down fuel sources for energy. This is measured by indirect calorimetry, a process that involves wearing breathing apparatus to analyse types of fuel being used during rest. Resting metabolic rate is an important marker in relation to weight management and can be utilised with other markers to prescribe estimations of appropriate calorie intake.

Price: £100.00
Duration: 60 minutes

Benefits:

  • A useful assessment for those who need to better understand their energy (calorie) requirements
  • Repeat tests can be used to accurately readjust prescriptions following body composition and physical activity changes
  • A report can assist in prescribing estimations inappropriate calorie intake

address

Human Performance Centre
University of Bedfordshire
Bedford campus
Polhill Avenue
Bedford
MK41 9EA
UK