title: Anaerobic threshold and maximal oxygen consumption during arm cranking exercise in paraplegia.
abstract: The major purpose of this investigation was to compare the anaerobic threshold (AT) and maximal cardiopulmonary responses to arm exercise between persons with paraplegia and the able-bodied. The locomotive stress on the heart in paraplegic subjects was also examined. Thirty-nine paraplegic subjects (T1-L4 lesions) and 32 able-bodied subjects completed a continuous, progressive, resisted arm cranking exercise test. The AT was determined from the ventilatory parameters. At the AT, the mean values of Vo2/body weight (BW) for class II (T1-T5, N = 9), III (T6-T10, N = 11), and IV (T11-L4, n = 19) paraplegic subjects were 10.9, 13.2, and 13.5mL/kg/min, respectively, and only class II had significantly lower value than the able-bodied (14.4mL/kg/min). During maximal exercise, the mean values of maximal oxygen consumption per body weight (Vo2max/BW) for class II and III paraplegics were 17.4 and 17.7mL/kg/min, respectively, which were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that of class IV (21.3mL/kg/min) and the able-bodied (28.2mL/kg/min). The heart rate (HR) during wheelchair-propelling (119bpm, n = 37) was significantly less than that at the AT (134bpm), but the HR during crutch-walking (151bpm, n = 17) was significantly higher. The results indicate that both submaximal and maximal cardiopulmonary functions in high-lesion paraplegics were less than that of the able bodied. Furthermore, the intensity of wheelchair-propelling at comfortable speed is not enough for improving the cardiopulmonary functions.
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Taiwan University, R.O.C.
authors: K H
authors: KH
authors: Lin
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Lai
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Kao
authors: I N
authors: IN
authors: Lien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D001132:Arm; D003446:Crutches; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014910:Wheelchairs