Histochemical changes in muscle of individuals with spinal cord injury following functional electrical stimulated exercise training.
METHODS
Longitudinal training.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of functional electrical stimulated (FES) leg cycle ergometer training on muscle histochemical characteristics in individuals with motor-complete spinal cord injury (SCI).


METHODS
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.


METHODS
Six individuals with motor-complete SCI (age 31-50 years; 3-25 years post-injury) trained using FES leg cycle ergometry for 30 min, 3 days per week for 8 weeks. Biopsies of the vastus lateralis muscle were obtained pre- and post-training and analyzed for fibre composition, fibre size and capillarization.


RESULTS
The majority of muscle fibres were classified as type 2 pre- and post-training. Average fibre area increased 23% (P<0.05) and capillary number increased 39% (P<0.05) with training. As a result of these proportional increases, capillarization expressed relative to fibre area was unchanged with training.


CONCLUSIONS
FES leg cycle ergometer training results in proportional increases in fibre area and capillary number in individuals with SCI.
Chilibeck
P D
PD
The Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Jeon
J
J
Weiss
C
C
Bell
G
G
Burnham
R
R
D000328:Adult; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology*