[Coronary circulation and metabolic function in endurance trained paraplegics].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of physical activity on pulmonary, cardiovascular and metabolic activity in paraplegics.


METHODS
Eight male paraplegics (average age 35.7 [range 25-47] years) had been selected from a pool of training members of the German Sport Union for the Disabled. They performed graded arm crank training for 8.3 +/- 3.1 h/week. Left ventricular volume (LVV), stroke volume (SV), wall thickness (WT), heart rate (HR) as well as serum lactate concentration were measured after different levels of the graded exercise. Results were compared with those obtained in 11 male sport students (average age 26.4 [23-30] years), who had similarly trained for 5.6 +/- 1.3 h/week.


RESULTS
The paraplegics had a significantly smaller LVV than the controls (771 +/- 84 ml vs 976 +/- 84 ml) and smaller SV (83 +/- 13 ml vs 104 +/- 11ml), with comparable WT. Paraplegics achieved significantly lower maximal exercise (145 +/- 23.7 vs 160 +/- 28.2) and maximal HR (177 +/- 12 vs 170 +/- 9) were not significantly different at the various exercise steps.


CONCLUSIONS
Paraplegia decreases cardiac dimensions and function. Long-term physical exercise achieves results comparable with those of untrained but not of trained healthy controls. Physically active paraplegics showed physiological cardiovascular and metabolic reactions to exercise.
Schmid
A
A
Rehabilitative und Präventive Sportmedizin, Medizinische Universitätsklinik Freiburg.
Huonker
M
M
Aramendi
J F
JF
Dürr
H
H
Klüppel
E
E
Barturen
J M
JM
Keul
J
J
D000328:Adult; D002306:Cardiac Volume; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
D007773:Lactates
Herz-Kreislauf- und Stoffwechselfunktion bei ausdauertrainierten Paraplegikern.