title: Electrical stimulation-assisted rowing exercise in spinal cord injured people. A pilot study.
abstract: Recently a FES (functional electrical stimulation)-assisted rowing machine was developed to enhance cardiovascular training in people with spinal cord injuries. The machine was assessed in terms of its efficacy as a training tool. Six patients who were quadriplegic (C6-T1) and 2 who were paraplegic (T3-6) completed a series of three tests in succession: (1) leg stimulation only (quadriceps and hamstring groups)--'Stim', (2) arm row only--'Row' and (3) simultaneous row and stimulation--'R & S'. Measurements recorded included oxygen uptake (VO2), minute ventilation (Ve), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP). In addition, 6 out of the 8 subjects took part in a qualitative assessment comprising a guided interview exploring the subject's perception of the machine and test. Significant increases in VO2 were demonstrated between the three tests with R & S producing mean steady-state values of 16.34 nm (+/- 0.74) ml/kg/min (83% of maximum). These values represented a 12% increase over Row alone. Of interest was the qualitative assessment which revealed that subjects perceived R & S to be easier than Row despite the higher levels of VO2 observed. The results suggest that the rowing machine represents a potentially valuable hybrid training device that may significantly reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease and improve the quality of life of people with SCI.
authors.affiliation: Rick Hansen Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Laskin
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Olenik
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burnham
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Cumming
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Steadward
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013710:Tendons / Q000502:physiology