Abstract des Autors

A definition of the discipline "Sports Medicine" is given. The main topics of Sports Medicine are preventive medicine, exercise therapy, rehabilitation and performance diagnosis. The development of Sports Medicine based on natural science is described. It started 200 years ago and led within the 19th century to the construction of different types of ergometers and of various kinds of apparatuses for the measurement of gas metabolism and respiration during those exercises. Already in 1848 the first measurement of gas metabolism during a dosed walking was performed. 1883 was the year of birth of a well functioning crank ergometer. In 1889 the first treadmill was developed, and in 1896 the first bicycle ergometer. In 1924 the maximal oxygen uptake was described for the determination of the maximal physical performance capacity. In 1929 the spiroergometry for clinical purposes was introduced. In the fifties, bicycle ergometry with the registration of the arterial blood pressure and the ECG were introduced. The development finished until today with computerized breath by breath spirography during a dosed work, performed on fully electronical and computerized bicycle ergometers. The history of the organized Sports Medicine started in 1912 in Oberhof/Germany. In 1913 the title "Sports Physician" was originated. In 1928 the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) was founded. Today this organization has 90 member nations. Present and future aspects of Sports Medicine in practice and research are described. For this purpose sports is divided up to 4 categories: sports for all, sports for health and for disabled persons, performance sports and high performance sports or show sports. The tasks of Sports Medicine in all categories of sports are analyzed. A specific field of scientific interest will be the research on blood supply and metabolism of the brain and the behaviour of psyche during a dosed exercise. Of great importance will be in future also the research on the immune system during exercise and training. Verf.-Referat